Only The Finest
by Eve Nightingale
Summary: Can Ed take working at a German brothle with Winry as an employee? Ch17: Roy's alt. blackmails Ed so he can continue to sell opium at the brothel. Ed and Al work with Aria in an attempt to destroy the evidence.
1. Chapter 1

I can safely say, this is the darkest fic I've ever written.

I have re-written the first few chapters and will make revisions as best I can.

This story is turning out better than I imagined! I hope you will give it a chance and if you do, I know you'll enjoy it.

**_Summary _**: **After sleeping with a German girl he thought was his Winry, he is thrown into many twisted events. Can Ed cope with working as a bodyguard? Can he really trust the people working at the brothel?**

**Ed must see through the lies and cover ups to find out what's really going on in the life of 'Winry'. But does he really want to? There's murder on the prowl.**

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Chapter 1

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With a stretch and a sigh Alphonse looked at the clock and groaned. "Two more hours."

Ed came up behind him carrying a large wooden box, he laid it next to his co-worker. "You know, if you say that every hour, it going to seem longer till clock out time." He grabbed a piece of thin metal out of the box and held it close to Al. "Is this good?"

Taking the scrap from Edward he held it up to the hole he was patching. "Perfect." Visor back down he proceeded to weld. "Are you drinking with us tonight?" He asked through the sparks spilling on the table he was working on.

"A little." He wasn't fond of drinking too much, falling in automail was painful.

"It's my eighteenth birthday, you should let loose a little. You can be so uptight." Al snickered as he finished one side. "...other side." He flipped his faceless piece of metal around to complete the job.

"I am not uptight." Ed said frustrated. As he said so, a female co-worker passed by, smiling as she did so, smiling at him. Ed paid her no mind.

Al held out a hand. "See! She showed interest and you didn't even take a second to talk to her." He said quitly as she walked away.

Ed huffed. "I'm not interested. I have other things I want to do."

"And what might that be?" Al said, turning his full attention to his roommate. "Getting out of this world and back to your own?" His voice sporting a little frustration.

"Yeah. So, you believe me now or something?" He folded his arms and watched Al's expression change from frustration and back to work mode, mask down.

Al fired up the torch again and sparks spat out. He shrugged. "Regardless of what I think, you need to do something with the life you have now. What if you never find what you're looking for? You'll have spent all this time looking for nothing. At least if you never get old life back on track, you won't have wasted this one, get more involved with it."

Pretending he did hear anything Ed glanced off to the work floor, the other employees were talking and chatting. He thought that if he had more connections with people, maybe someday he'd come across someone who knew something of his old world. Maybe he could even locate his father who seemed to have fallen off the face of the planet. "You're right."

"I am?" He finished his piece. "I'm never right." He removed the barrier covering his face and smiled at Ed. "So you'll drink with us?" Since he was turning eighteen, he was allowed to drink the hard liquor and want to do shots.

Ed got a remorsful expression. "Fine. But not like last time."

"What's wrong Ed, didn't like the Napolean Rum? Or just some bad memories of a certain night?" Al grinned wide.

Edward shook his head. "No, just of the following morning." Ed's eighteenth birthday was celebrated with a bottle of the rum in question; he woke the following morning to discover that he had broken automail and a hangover that could end all hangovers.

"Yeah? Well, I'll remind you then, you have to help me up the stairs tonight." He said, taking his welded metal and dipping it in a near by water bucket.

"How so?" Ed raised an eyebrow.

"You're returning the favor." Alphonse shook the water from the patched metal and walked off.

He thought. "Oh." Ed tried hard to recall his birthday back in Febuary many times, but after one o'clock, it was vague.

The final hours came and went quickly and the whole team headed to their usual spot after a long work day, this time, it was rented out to the whole factory for the evening. Waitresses in busty outfits and carrying mug after mug of delicious beer buzzed buzily around the floor. "Come on Ed." Al said, slipping an arm around his shoulder. "Two beer? Not enough." He held a shot glass over Ed's other shoulder. "Have another." The shotglass slipped from his hand and landed in Ed's mug of frothy beer. They both looked in with a disapointed expression.

Ed sighed. "Get." Ed nudged him away and looked down into his beer, the rum had mixed with it. Tilting the half gone beer to his mouth he drank the concoution in a few big mouthfuls. "Not bad." That said, he watched Al dizzily drop a shot glass in his own and drank up. "I didn't mean to do it."

He took a swig. "I did anyway." He turned around and grabbed another beer from the waitress walking by and seemlessly complete the rotation then stuck the beer in front of Ed. "Again."

Through the violin, the rum and the laughter it was amazing either of them only forgot one thing. "The bloody stairs!" Al exclaimed.

"Damn." He had, on one hand, an arm that not only couldn't feel anything but was now being poorly coordinated, he had Alphonse on the other, with the promis of getting up the stairs in one piece. "Have another you said. It'll be great. Not doing this again." He was ready to complain about anything. The stairs were fuzzy, in memory, and even putting the key in the lock wasn't something he could recall, but there was one thing that stood out. It was those bold blue eyes. Those long lemon locks. Ed stood in awe for a few seconds.

"What?" She said, examining his face. "Can't figure it out geinus?" She said plucking the keys from Edward's clumsy grip. "I swear..." She snarked as she unlocked their apartment door for them; Al made a break for the coach.

Ed held his hand out, rather this girl picked it up, and placed his keys hard in his palm, fingers clutched shut for him. She held on for a little to long for him not to notice, also long enough for him to notice her eyes locked on his. "Did you want to come in?" He said, confused, obviously.

It was morning. Ed shifted in his bed, his head still swiming from the night before. What had happened? He tried to recall for a while but nothing came to mind. Deciding then was good a time as any to sit up he rose and his blankets slipped to the waist. Lifting his left hand to feel for his collar he found that his shirt was gone. A memory struck Edward, one that made his eyes shoot wide open despite the darkness, inviting the girl in, a couple of steamy moments and then nothing else. Had he slept with this girl, pants being nowhere to be found he assumed so. '_Was it...no...couldn't be._' The thought that for a second he had found Winry on this side of the gate, the probibility was far too slim. Whoever it was, it looked a lot like her; but then again the city had a lot of long blond haired beauties, it could be anyone. Whoever she was, she was gone. Swinging his legs to find the floor he blindly grabbed his bottom drawer and femoved cloths for the day, figuring all in all he should shower.

A hot shower at least got him awake, now making and consuming coffee to help with the hangover. Hot coffee in hand he sauntered into the living room to see Al on the coach, mouth wide, snoring loudly. "If I got to deal with it so do you. Get up." He smirked. "Just because someone buys them for you, doesn't make them any less painful the next day, does it?"

"Not as painful as buying a whore." He said casually.

Ed was taken back by the odd remark. "What?"

"Yeah, said you'd have to empty your account, but...ya got her." He rubbed the sleep from his eyes and sat upright.

Only taking a second to process. "She was..." It was a prostitute he got to come in, all that 'it was Winry' stuff drained effortlessly from his mind and reality gave him a swift kick in the boys. "I..."

"I was wondering about that, I mean, we don't get paid for another week." Alphonse stared at his older roomate who laid his coffee down on the end table and buried his face in his fists. Al pat him on the back. "Don't worry, Gracia won't mind helping out with food, she has before."

"Thank you, but damn, that was so stupid. Where did she go?" Ed didn't see anyone else in the house.

"She had to leave, but she told me she'd be back by noon. She was pretty mad, made a lot of noise too."

"Noise?" Ed went to his room to see what it could have been. He fliped the light switch to see books pulled off the shelf, drawers opened, papers were all over the floor and a couple boxes were flipped open. "What the hell...?"

"See, told you...mad."

"Apparently." He ran a hand through his hair and scratched his head. Whoever they were, they wanted their money.

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All the same information just delivered in a different way.

Lets see what you think.


	2. Chapter 2

There weren't many things to fix in this chapter, just re-worded a couple things.

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_Chapter 2_

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Ed paced the living room as he waited for the escort to show back up. Alphonse said that she would arrive back shortly after lunch, so the time was growing nearer. Not knowing full well just how much money he owed her, he cleaned out his entire bank account in hopes that it would be enough. He counted off some of the money in his hand, he counted off three hundred marks. Had he have owed her anymore, he would be in deep trouble.

He sighed as he folded the bank notes in his hand. Turning to Alphonse he lowered his head. "Really sorry about this...if she charges me too much, we'll be broke for the rest of the month."

Al shook his head. "It's not like this happens all the time. Just watch what you're doing from now on." He smiled. "Besides, we have another pay cheque before the end of the month. We can pay our rent, but food might be tight."

Ed at that moment got the stabbing pain of hunger. "Oh, why did you have to say food?" He heard a knock at the door. "Oh no..." Ed was not prepared for what he was about to do, but he went for it anyway.

His hand grasped the handle of the door and it turned. Upon opening the door, the same blond haired girl from the previous night was standing in front of him. Ed sighed in relief because earlier Al had made a joke about a cross dressing hooker and it got him paranoid, fortunately for him she was a girl. Upon further examination, he was also right about one other thing; it was indeed Winry. "Winry?" He spoke only to think a split second later that might not actually be her name.

"When did I tell you my name?" She planted her fists on her hips. She had a thick German accent which Ed was not use to; Winry only ever spoke English, so it was quite bizarre to him to hear he speak a foreign tongue. She was accompanied by a taller man, a very stout figure with a bit of a pot belly. He had fiery red hair and a scowl alone that would knock the teeth right out of your face. "He doesn't speak German, so don't bother. Dumb Scots. Anyway, where's my money. It's 280 marks for the whole night."

Ed sighed in relief. "Here." He counted off the marks as he laid them in her hand.

She watched him count the bank notes and could tell he was nervous, his hands were shaking as he handed her the money. She tilted her head to the side to see beneath his bangs, he had sweat all across his brow. "You don't do this often do you?"

Ed, using only his eyes, looked up at her. "I've never had a girlfriend before. So what's that tell you?" He spoke disrespectfully.

Finally finished counting out the money, she held it over her shoulder to the man standing behind her. "Breda, take this to Mama-san." She spoke to him in English.

Ed couldn't help but smile, it had been a while since he heard any words be spoken in English. "_You speak English. You must get international clients._"

"_Nah, she was just taught a few lines to bark orders._" Breda, his counterpart in this world, spoke, a Scottish accent adorning his words. "_She's actually quite stupid._"

Ed couldn't help but laugh. "_Really?_"

Winry smacked the bigger man in the chest. "Stop it! You know I can't understand you!" She snapped at him.

"_We're confusing her._" Ed spoke in his native tongue one last time before returning to German. "Sorry, it was nothing. It's just that he's the first person I've met in a long time who speaks English."

She straightened her skin tight, red skirt and fixed her mink shawl over her shoulders. "Whatever. If you want to do it again sometime, here's our card." With that said, she handed him a card and turned to leave.

Breda nodded in Ed's direction and waved. "_Previous clients get discounted drinks._" He spoke to him one last time before allowing Winry to pass by. He shut the door behind them and once more, Ed was relieved. Though he hated to admit it, that girl was quite pretty. It might have been due to the lack of clothing, but she was equally as stunning as Winry from back home was. He sighed again as he looked down at few bills that were left in his hand. "Twenty marks. Looks like food is going to be pretty much nonexistent." Ed spoke to Al as he entered the kitchen.

"What's that?" Al said as he tugged the small business card from in between Ed's fingers. "And don't worry about food, I already called Gracia, she said she can help us out."

Ed's face turned blood red. "You told her?!"

"Yeah...is there a problem?" Al was confused at Ed's reaction.

Calming himself, he shook his head. Back in Armistis, prostitution was illegal; in Germany, it was no problem, it was actually a legitimate form of business. He had grown up thinking it was bad and shameful, so it would always have that taboo attached to it. "Nothing-so what's on the card?"

He held it up. "It's a brothel called 'Halle der Spielzeuge'. I was there once, very classy." He was met with a stare from his older room mate. "I didn't buy an escort, I just went there for the drinks." He waved a hand at Ed.

Heaving a sigh he took the card back from Alphonse. "Halle der Spielzeuge." He repeated. '_Hall of toys?_' Ed thought to himself. He wasn't the greatest at translation the written word at times, but he guessed it made sense. A hall full of toys would have been fun for a child, but to give such a name to such a place kind of seemed weird to him.

"Are you going to go?" Al said as he rested his head down on the table.

Ed flipped the card over. 'Show this card to the bartender.' Is what it said on the back. "I guess...but not till we get some money. Besides, I've had my fill of booze for a while...and from the looks of it, so have you." He referenced Al's head no longer in an upright position.

Al smiled. "I've had worse days."

In all of Ed's time on the road searching for the philosopher's stone, he had not once went too long without food. But the weeks that passed were a whole different story. It was times like that which made Edward appreciated the Catholic church. Once a day they gave out a free meal, it was never anything fancy, or for that matter, very filling, but he really couldn't be picky, he was starving.

"Don't worry Ed, we get paid tomorrow. We'll pick something good up then." Al gave him that reassuring smile that his younger brother use to give him when they were kids. "I'll see if I can sweet talk Gracia to cook for us."

Ed nodded as he looked around. "I'm sure she will." There were lots of people there, some a lot worse off than they were, some barely even had decent clothing to wear. It seemed there were a lot of immigrants from Japan still lingering around. Just then, something caught his eye. "Roy?" He said under his breath, an undying smirk lit up his face. He couldn't believe it, the flame alchemist's alternate was a Japanese bum. He was leaning against the wall of the church with a tattered shawl wrapped around his shoulders trying to keep warm; Autumn was starting to get pretty cold, the guy look like he was freezing. Ed paused and remembered that people on this side of the gate were nothing like back home.

Ed averted his gaze and continued waiting in line, he couldn't believe he got joy from seeing that man sitting there. He shook it off and really thought about it for a moment. He hated the Colonel, but seeing someone like that, really hurt.

"What's wrong Ed?" Al looked at him with concern.

Ed snapped to. "I just got this weird feeling...did you ever feel sorry for what you wished for?" He said with a grimace.

Al thought about it. "...Can't say that I have."

They stood there in silence for the remainder of the wait. Upon reaching the front of the line he leaned in close. "Excuse me, I have a friend at home, he's too sick to make it down...would it be ok if I brought him home something. I promise to bring the bowl back." He smiled in the most convincing of ways.

The soup kitchen lady gave him a glare but followed it up with a smile. "Sure, here you go. Better not be lying."

Ed shook his head. "You have my word."

With that, Ed took the two bowls and the two half loaves of bread and hurried off, Al followed close behind. "What did you do, you stole from the church? Ed, you may not believe, but this food is for people who can't afford it. That's pretty low."

Ed stopped and face him. "It's not for me." Ed approached the man who reminded him of Roy and tapped him on the shoulder. "Hey, you hungry?"

"Nani?" It seemed that he spoke only Japanese.

"Here." Ed held out the bowl to the man.

With a look of great confusion and then a smile, the man took the food from Ed's hand. "Arigato gozaimasu."

Ed smiled. "I guess you're welcome." Ed really had no clue of what he just said, but imagined he was saying thank you because immediately he began eating the soup.

Al dragged Ed away from the man and became quite cross. "What the hell Ed?! He's Japanese! We're trying to get rid of them." Al seemed quite upset with him. "When you see a starving Jap, you don't give him food, you let him go."

Ed pushed past him. "All I saw was a starving _person_."

Al was shocked, he really didn't expect Ed to say something like that. He had always grew up to be taught to dislike anyone in his country who wasn't of German decent like he was, so it was quite strange to see someone who was so tolerant of everyone. "You really are from another world, aren't you?" He muttered as he followed along.


	3. Chapter 3

Hehe, I know I should be writing in Part 3 of my other fic...but damn, I just got so much isnspiration to be writing this one now. Sorry guys. XP

Anyway, there's quite a twist in this one, let's see how you like it. :P

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__Chapter 3

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_Ed sat at the beer hall with Al and a few of their buddies from work. After their pay cheque's, they had been completely caught up in their bills and food was once again being put on the table every night. Except for that night, the one in which they decided to eat at the hall again. Ed was just a sucker for those litlte white sasuages, it couldn't be helped. 

He had decided against drinking, Ed was sensible like that at times, though few and far between, he just wanted a good hot meal that he didn't have to make himself. Al on the other hand, even after the pain he and Ed had both suffered after his birthday, had a stien filled to the brim with delicious beer. "I don't know how you can do that." Ed said as he enjoyed his food.

Al meerly shrugged. "Bad memory. Stubborn. Alcoholisim. Take your pick." He smiled as he sipped his drink.

The meal passed uninturupted and was quite delicious, Ed's favorite cook was on, he always knew how to make the food just right. Satasfied that all was well, they got up to leave. Ed and Al were parting ways with the guys from work and were going to head home, but on the verge of getting up to leave, the door to the pub opened with a loud thud. None other than Breda walked through the door, his angry Scottish scowle everpresent.

Ed ducked behind Alphonse. "What does he want? Hope it's nothing to do with me."

"What can I do for you?" The bartender piped up with a smirk on his face. "Someone not pay ya?"

Breda scanned the floor for his target, and as soon as he set eyes on Edward, he began approaching him quickly. "_Edward. Come on._" Breda spoke only English, so he only confused the rest of the bar with his words.

"_I paid you already. I don't want any trouble._ " Ed said as he stood his ground on the opposite side of the table, ready to take off at a moments notice.

Breda shook his head. "_It's nothing like that. Mama-san wants to meet you._" He said with a smile.

Ed stood up. "_Mama-san?_" Ed rememberd that Japanese brothel's owner's usually went by mama-san or papa-san. '_She must be Japanese then._' Ed nodded. "_Alright...but why?_"

The red haired man shrugged. "_Something about a job for you. Come on, I don't want to have to drag you._"

Ed turned to his co-workers, Al included. "I'll be back later. Don't wait up for me."

Al planted his hand firmly on Ed's shoulder. "Don't waste any more money, we'll get kicked out if we don't have the rent ready." He said with a stern look on his face.

Ed nodded. "No worries. I won't." He turned to the Scottsman and smiled. "_Let's go._" He really didn't want to work for such an organization, but he would at least have to go down and meet with this 'Mama-san' lest he recieve a beating.

There had been a large section of Germany in which he had never visited. It was a big place and he'd only lived there for, give or take, two years; but in his own city, there was an entirely different side that he had not had the 'pleasure' of meeting. It was the seedy underbelly side, the one with the stand alone hookers with visible stitch wounds and tracks on their arms that could ride a train. The side of town with all the drug dealers who's cold stare was enough to make Ed want to take his chances and run.

Be that is it was, he digressed and walked close by Breda. It was so strange, he knew this man, but yet at the same time, he didn't. It was the same way when he met Alphonse Heidrich. He was 15 at the time, and strikingly similar to what Al would have looked like, provided he was given the chance to grow up. He also found it strange to have met Roy, or whatever his name was, and Breda all in the same country; surely he imagined they'd all be a little more widespread. Was it destiny for him to know all the people he knew on the other side of the gate in this world too? He shook the thought from his head as he continued.

Looking up, it was like seeing a diamond in the rough, a shimmering ray of light seeping into a darkend room; it was the place on the card. '_Halle der Spielzeuge_' it read on the front in big red painted letters. It seemed as though they were going for a ribbon effect, it looked nice enough, espically with all the juxtopozed materials surrounding it.

"_I feel out of place._" Ed said as Breda guided him in through the front door and across the floor which was crowded with multitudes of people either flirting with a girl, or already engaging in acts that were best left for behind closed doors.

Breda laughed. "_I do too sometimes. It's best not to make eye contact._" He said as he finally managed to get them both through the crowd. "_Just be humble around Mama-san, she's really good at spotting fear or disgust._" He opened the door that led to a dark hallway behind the main room where the fron tdoors were. The Corridoor was dimly lit and a few, from what Ed could tell, hookers lined the halls, it seemed as though they were waiting for someone.

One of the shorter ones, not too much shorter than him, though she did seem to be a few year younger, approached Edward and tugged at his collar in a seductive way. "So you're the client, I hope." She gazed at him with her vibrant green eyes, they stood out quite well in the dark, espically against her long dark, chestnut brown hair.

Ed became quite uneasy. "Sorry..." He spoke as he removed her hands, yet another face he was familiar with staring back at him.

She looked pissed off to say the very least. "Ugh, I hope it's not that old guy again. Disgusting." She folded her arms and quickly averted her gaze.

Ed kept on walking right behind the Scottsman, as he weaved his way past the girls. "_Here we are, now remember what I said._" They stood in front of a rather large door with a sign written in bright red ink, buch like the banner outside the building, 'Mama-san'. Ed swallowed a lump in his throat.

"_Mama, Edward is here to see you._" Breda said as he walked around the desk and stood at her side.

A rather large safe was blocking his path and he was unable to see who exactally he was meeting with. "_You called for me?_" Ed said, a nervous tone in his voice, he wasn't sure if she spoke English or not, but if Breda spoke ti to her, he was sure that she would understand.

"Yes." She said from the opposite side of a safe, it looked as though it was hoarding a whole lot of cash. Her voice sounded strikingly familiar, but Ed just couldn't quite place it. "Edward Elric was it?" She inquired as a thin line of smoke was blown out form behind the open door of the safe and disapated into the air.

Ed could still catch the remenants of the smoke hanging around him, it was quite acrid. He held back a cough. "Yes Miss." He said in an unsure tone; he had heard everyone refer to her as 'Mama-san' so he was a little weary as to weather or not to call her that. Was it a lingo that only they were familiar with, or was it generalized for anyone? Either way, he stuck with what he knew, miss, tried and true.

She laughed a little. "Just call me Mama-san. After I visited Japan, I took a liking to that nic-name." She said as she swung to door of the safe shut and walke into plain view. "It makes me feel a little closer to my emploies, Edward." She smiled at him.

All the color washed from his face as he saw his own mother's face staring right back at him.


	4. Chapter 4

Ah Ed, our little virgin. :P Well,not really anymore, but he's still a virgin at heart.

I'm really liking where this one's going. Tell me what you guys think.

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_Chapter 4_

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"I need you to be a body guard for Winry." Was what she began with. "I just hired a new girl who only speaks English, I wanted to assign Breda to her rather than trying to find someone else."

Ed nodded and cossed his arms. "Why not asign me to her? I mean, I can speak English, it's my first language."

Mama smiled. "Wirny's taken a liking to you; besides, she only speaks German, I've wanted to pair her up with someone who speaks her language. On top of that, whatever it was that you did to her, she talks about it all the time."

He couldn't help but blush. "Is it fair to say I don't remember?" Edward rubbed the back of his head.

She became confused. "You don't remember? Why?"

Hesitating slightly he averted his gaze momentairly and then returned. "I was really drunk...I don't remember."

Pausing, she took time to snicker. "I'm sorry. You were intoxicated to the point that you couldn't remember, but you could still fornicate. That's nothing short of amazing." She stood up, crushing the cigarette butt on the small ashtray that adorn her desk.

Ed blushed a little deeper. "..." He was really at a loss for words. He was never good at talking about sex, this was no exception, espically since it was as if he was talking to his mother. He knew it wasn't really her, he had long since desensitized himself to meeting people in this world that he knew. Though it still was weird. "What is it that you want me to do?" He was still preplexed as to what she wanted from him, and he was desperatly looking for a segway to go back to talking about the job at hand rather than sex.

"Right." She rounded the desk and sat on the edge of it right in front of Edward. "Winry's popular amongst our clients. Though most of our clients are good to pay up, some are a little less than coorperative. That's where you come in. If they don't pay up, you take care of it. Be it, talking convincingly to them, threatening them or even beating them to within an inch or their lives, you do it. Also, if they get violent with the girls, most have a difficult time defending themselves."

Ed turned the thought over in his head. "I don't know..."

She shook her head. "What you're doing isn't illegal, everyone who buys one of my girls time for a while is informed that if they are unable to pay, they suffer the conciquences. This is a business, it needs to be run like a business, not a daycare. I have every intention to run it like a business. I can pay you quite well. What do you say? Will you take the job?" She gave him that warm mothering smile that his own mother was the mirror image of.

Knowing full well that this could potentially be a dangerous job, he smiled back and nodded. "Yes, I'll take it." Not only would it give him a chance to keep in shape, but it also gave him a stroke of nostalgia. Fighting was something that he missed, he admitted to that. He couldn't help being naturally violnt, it was because of his upbringing with Izumi that he was tough as nails and wanted to remain as so.

"Perfect." Mama-san smiled and stood up and reached into her coat pocket. "I'll give you an advance pay and send you home now, just to make sure you get rested up. Make sure to get plenty of sleep, this job will be taxing. I suggest you devote yourself like Breda here." She smiled at him, standing there, obidently. "_My hard working Scott._"

He nodded in approval. "_Right_." Breda said with a smile.

"I'm not hard to get along with; and please, Edward, just trust me and all will work out for you." She smiled as she extended his pay.

Ed looked at it and then back to her, he couldn't help but smile as he took the cash into his hand. "Of course." How could he refuse the face of his own mother? He had to keep reminding himself that this line of work was not only legal, but it was necessary. If there was one thing that he hated seeing people do, it was hurt the ones he loved and taking advantage of the weak. Not that he loved the Winry who's decent was of this side of the gate, but still, he wanted to protect her if she couldn't do it herself, it was the least he could do.

"I'll warn you now though, Winry's not the easiest to get along with. She did mention you, so that's a start, but don't try to get too close, you'll only get hurt in the end, alright?" Mama-san gave her warning to Edward as she walked around her desk and sat in the fancy looking leather bound chair.

Her office had no windows, and it was dimly lit, with the exception of the desk lamp which illuminated her work area. The back wall was lined with pictures, most likely of her and her family and friends. He saw an older picture hanging in an expensive looking frame. It was one of her and what appeared to be her parents. The one next to it was one of her standing next to all of her emploies. He knew this becaues that younger girl with the brown hair was in it and so was Winry. It looked recent.

"Here." She extended her hand to him, it seemed as though she was holding something.

Confused, but being curtious just the same, he reached his hand out and a small ring landed in the palm of his hand. "What's this for?" He said, examining the ring. It was a nice looking gold ring with a small dark red jewel inside of it. He slid it on his left middle finger, the only one that fit, and admired the craftmenship on the thin ring that when it met the jewel, swirled once on top of the stone and then connected with the rest of the ring. It was the same on the bottom.

"If you wear that ring, it means you work for me. It'll come in handy someday. I've got quite the reputation, so you never know when it'll benefit you. Think of it as my gift to you." She smiled quaintly as Ed took his leave and headed out the door he came in.

Reaching into his pocket he tugged out a bill and looked over to the counter. Figuring that one drink before he left wouldn't hurt, he began heading toward the bar. Sitting down at one of the stools on the end, the bartender came over to Edward. "Ah, so you _were_ here for a job." The bartender smiled as he stood in front of Edward. "That means you drink for free my good man. What can I get you?"

Ed could only sit there, blinking, for a few seconds. "Free?" At that moment, Ed regretted sitting down at the bar. He hated spending lots of money on drink, getting wasted and then having to deal with the sickness the following day, but if he didn't have to pay, that took a good chunk of the sting out of it. Edward smiled. "Do you have Napolean Rum?" He said in a hopeful tone.

The bartender turned around, scanned his arsenault and came back with a twenty five year old bottle of the stuff. "Here you are." He slammed the quart down on the table in front of Edward followed up by classy looking glass. "Ice?" He held out a cube or two.

Ed nodded and the man dropped the ice into his glass. Upon doing so, the barkeep turned to tend to another customer. "You've got to be kidding me." He smiled and began to pour the alcohol over the tiny pieces of ice that filled his glass.

Time passed, not wanting to drink the entire bottle, he stopped about halfway and handed it back to the one who gave it to him in the first place. Feeling pretty good, he thanked the bartender and carefully slid off the stool. Sucessfully reaching the ground, he began to cross the floor, a slight sway in his step. A girl, one who he had not met before, in either world, took him by the arm. "So. You're Mama-san's new boy?" She had a darker shade of long blond hair done up in ringlettes with two pale blue eyes, much like the whie part of the inside of an ice cube, but with a blue color added. Ed nodded as he held up the ring. She smiled. "My name's Ilsa. Come sit and talk with us for a while."

Being too drunk to distinguish between good and evil, again, he took the girls offering and sat down with them. "So, who are you working with?" Ilsa asked.

Ed smiled as he reused a cigarette being offered to him. "I'm working with Winry."

The rest of the girls exchanged glances. One of the other one's piped up. "She put you with Winry? That girl doesn't like much of anyone."

Ed shook his head. "Ah, no, no, no. She actually asked for me personally." Ed smiled as the red blush creeped over his cheeks and nose.

"Really?" Ilsa was shocked. "Are you two an item?"

Ed shook his head once again. "No, I just slept with her one night I was out, and for some reason, she really liked me." He laughed. "I guess I did something right."

Ilsa piped up again. "Dont get my hopes up. You're working for her, not me." She nudged him and smiled.

Ed smiled in return. She really seemed like a nice girl, but he figured that was just in the job description to begin with. Not paying it any mind, he sat with them and chatted.

The hours passed into the late hours of the night. It was nearly midnight before Edward looked at the clock and realized the time. "Oh, I should probably get home." He said, a slur was prevelant. He managed to have a couple more drinks before calling it quits.

Ilsa leaned over and pearched heself on top of Edward. "I don't want you to go, there's not too many bodyguards as handsome as you." She leaned in and kissed him.

Reacting to the touch Ed reached his hands up and pushed her away lightly. "I really don't have the money right now." He said politely.

She smirked. "Mama-san's boys get special treatment, for free." She kissed him once again.

This time, Edward went along with it. He knew he had to stay sober from this point on in order to not get one of these girls knocked up, but he went with it this time. He had only just met this girl and yet, she was all over him. Once again, he figured it must have been in the job description.

Ilsa caught him a little off guard when she stopped kissing him and moved downward, toward his belt. "Woah, wait a sec." He took her hands to try and stop her. "There's so many people around." His head may have been spinning, but he knew when something was out of place enough to make him feel uncomfortable.

She tugged away from his grasp and began undoing his belt. "Don't worry, this is perfectally normal. Just look around." Ed glanced over to see a few other guys getting the same treatment as him, other's had girls half dressed up against a wall, he could only imagine what they were doing.

He gave her the 'ok' and watched her carefully, he never had something like this done to him before, let alone in a room full of people. Having second thoughs, he piped up. "Maybe we should move anyw--ah, never mind." His second thoughts were cut short. Edward's head leaned back as the girl began doing what she, apparently, did best. Not being as drunk as he was the last time he encountered something like this, he could actually feel and expirence what was going on.

Ed's mind was spinning, not just because of the rum, but this sensation was so intense, he was in complete raputre. He could have sworn that all his fingers were tingeling, even though one of his arms was made of metal. After only a few minutes, his toes curled in his boots as his body surged with pleasure.

The girl lifted her head and smiled. "Pretty good, huh?"

Ed caught his breath. "...Damn..." Was all he could muster with an overly pleased smile on his face.

Ilsa helped do the front of his pants up and his belt as well. She smirked and gave him one last kiss. "Welcome to your new life."

Edward paused momentairly, then smiled in return. "Yeah."

* * *

Reviews? Please?  
You know you wanna. XD 


	5. Chapter 5

* * *

_Chapter 5_

* * *

Al walked up behind Edward who was laying face down on the table. "Ed." He said in a displeased tone. His older roomate had slept with his head down on the kitchen table the whole night. "Ed..." He said again, this time a little louder. 

"No...I...maybe one more drink." He muttered in his sleep.

Teeth clenched, Alphonse grabbed hold of Ed's pony tail and tugged his head in an uprigth position. "Edward, get up." He said in a low tone. Upon hearing no response, he released his grip, allowing Ed's head to come crashing down on the edge of the table. "Wake up! Time to face your hangover!" He gave a shout as Ed toppled over and was sent to the floor, riving in pain.

"What was that for?!" He screamed at Al, clutching his forehead in pain.

"You drank a lot, again, last night! I thought you understood our money situation!"Al took a step back as he watched Ed stagger to his feet.

"I do." Ed rubbed his eyes, he wasn't too groggy, just a bit of a head ache was all he had. "I didn't spend any money last night."

Being skeptical, he raised an eyebrow. "You're not the kind to get drunk off fumes Ed."

He shook his head and flashed the ring that was given to him by his mother, rather Mama-san. "I have a job there now, so you won't be seeing me at the factory all that often."

"..."Al's look immedatly went from anger to confusion, potentially slightly creepd out. "You have a job working at a whore house?"

Ed blushed and shook his head. "It's nothing like that. I'm a bodyguard for one of the girls down there, actually, the one who I...paid to stay here."

"You mean, the one you had sex with." Al pointed an accusing finger as if to rub in the fact he lost his virginity to a hooker.

Ed blushed a deep shade of red. "Anyway! I need to take her out to a few places tonight, so I won't be coming in. If they try to replace me, let them, I'd rather not hold them back in their research. You guys are really close to this."

Heidrich's mouth fell open. "Ed come on, you can't just give up on us so easily. You're the best reasearcher on out team. If you're gone, we won't be able to replce you easily."

He shrugged. "Nothing against you, but we're not pulling in enough money to fund the research anyway." Ed thought for a second. "And hey, if I start making enough money, I could probably put in a little donation of my own."

Alphonse planted his fists on his hips. "I suppose. But it really won't be the same."

Ed stood up and gave that big Elric grin that he was prone to doing in times of extreme happiness. "Don't worry about it. And hey, look on the bright side, we'll have extra money, enough to buy fancy food, and good liquor." He patted his taller, yet younger, friend on the shoulder.

Al couldn't help but smile in return. "Well, when you put it that way." He gave him a half smile. "You better be careful though, you'll get fat if you drink too much."

Ed looked offended, but smiled just the same. "I doubt that."

* * *

"I'll only be a short while, the older men don't usually have it in them." She peeked over her shoulder. "If you know what I mean." Winry said with a disamused expression. 

Ed closed his eyes, and momentairly, he wished he was somewhere else. "I don't need to hear things like that." He turned his head away. "Do what you have to and then get out of there, we have two more places to go tonight." It was nearly midnight, Friday night at that, and business was teeming. She had stopped Ed several times along the road to tend to someone calling out to her.

"Oh yeah, before I forget." She fussed with her black mink shawl. "All these little favors I do for men as we walk, don't tell Mama-san about them. I need the extra money." With that said, she entered the building they had stopped in front of.

Ed knew that any form of money that went into the girls hands, passed through Mama's and then a fraction of it was returned to them at the end of each week. From what he could tell, they made good money, there was no living in a ditch and scraping for food. Most of the girls owned their own houses, so it left him to wonder just what exactally she needed the excess money for. Paying it no mind, he leaned his back against the door of the house. He could make out a few certain sounds that he didn't care for, so taking quick leave, he found a street light and took shelter beneath it. He felt a whole lot safer not standing in the dark, then again, no one could see him there.

He peered down at his watch, the appointment was for half past midnight, so he hoped that she would indeed make this a quick one.

"Finally, I didn't think I'd find anyone this late." A young girl, approached him from the side, it seemed like she was accompanied by a friend of hers. "What are your rates?" She inquired.

Ed couldn't help but be startled, she pretty much came from nowhere, he struggled for some words. "I uh...well, the girls usually charge 35 Marks an hour."

The younger girl rolled her eyes. "I don't care for girls, what about you?" She planted her fists on her hips, a smirk sperad from cheek to cheek. "More, less?"

He then realized what she was implying. "Oh!" He blushed. "I'm not – I'm only a bodyguard. Halle der Spielzeuge might be able to help you though." He recalled seeing only a few men working as tramps, but he figured thats what she was looking for.

She sighed. "They're always taken, you have to book nearly a week in advance. Come on, can't you cut me some kind of deal. I'll pay extra." She held out a healthy sum of money.

Ed looked at the mig wad of bills being waved right in front of him. She might as well have been slapping him in the face with it. "I'm sorry." He held up a hand to decline. "I really can't."

"Fine." She returned her money to her purse and brushed past him. Her friend gave him a dirty look as she went by.

Ed sighed. Did he really look like someone like that? He couldn't imagine what they were thinking, they seemed in the right state of mind. "..." He looked at his surroundings. The dark street, the light above him, the needless and ultimatly unexplained loitering, the pose with his foot up against the lamp post; she must of thought he was standing around looking for 'tricks', as he heard some of the other girls call them.

Not bothering to hold back a smirk, he nodded. "That makes sence." He spoke to himself on occasion, but he did best not to draw attention. He waited, without further incident, for another twenty minutes.

Just then, the strong scent of chocolate wafted through the air, as to where it was coming from was beyond him. After only a couple seconds left to wonder, the front door swung open and there stood Winry, not looking mad, just irritated. "...shit..." She closed the door behind her and walked towards Ed. "Let's go find a restroom, I need to wash up." She licked her thumb and proceeded to remove something sticky from her cheek.

Edward raised an eyebrow. "Any reason you smell like chocolate?"

Winry sighed. "Because people are weird. Let's leave it at that."

He nodded. "I can live with that."

* * *

Mama-San held the icepack tighly against Edward's face. "There, does that feel any better?" She coaxed him. 

On the last run of the night, Winry's patron decided to try and skip out on his bill, so, in turn, Edward had to lay a beating on him. Unfortunatly for Ed, the guy managed to allow one punch to slip past Ed's block and clocked him right in the bottom lip. "Yeahs, thankhs." His speech was a little off due to the swelling, but that would soon be gone, the hit wasn't too bad, but it did break the skin a little where his lip met his teeth.

"I'm quite impressed. Not everyone get's away with a fat lip on their first fight. Did you do a lot of fighting before this?" She had him pinned, just like his own mother, she could read him like a book.

"Yesh." He replied quietly, being slightly saddened by the mention of the loss of all his family and friends. "Shomthing like that." He took his hand up and held the icepack on his own.

Mama-San walked around her desk and sat at her leather bound chair, it was a deep burgundy color and had black trim. It didn't stand out all that much in the dimly lit room, but it still looked nice. She leaned back and folded her hands. "I'd hate to see such a pretty face get beaten up." Leaning forward, she thought momentairly. "How would you like to do some easy work for me next month?"

He became confused. "Eashy work?" Speech still not the greatest, he inquired. "What kind of eashy work?" He thought something along the lines of cleaning the hall.

"Well." The brown haired lady opened her right desk drawer and pulled ot a few papers. "Next month, I have a few girls that want to come and work for me after school lets out. Most of them need money for college, they come and work for me so they can save, it happens every year." She flipped through some of the papers. "But you see...quite a few of them requested that their first time, they don't want to be paid for." She peeked over the folder. "People can be sentimental about the strangest things at times." She laid the folder down. "Now, I don't like giving out freebies; if I did that, people would be expecting it all the time. You understand?" She smiled.

Ed paused and examined her face. She couldn't really mean what he thought she meant. "Wait...you to...?" He blushed. "Why not get one of the other guysh to help them out?"

Mama-San sighed. "I offered that option but all the girls who requested not only don't want to be paid for their first time, but they don't want their first time to be with an escort. You're the only one around their age who isn't one of my sex workers. You'll be doing this free of charge if you agree, so that doesn't make you a prostitute, if that's what you're worried about."

He was stuck. Not that he wanted to sleep around, with anyone, but he wanted to make a good impression on his first day, rather night, working. "How many girls are there?" He asked in hopes that there was only one or maybe two.

She skimmed the papers. "Well, there's..." She flipped some of the papers over the top, all the while reading. "There's fourteen."

Ed's jaw dropped. "Fourte-OW!" He overextended his jaw and caused the wound to open a little. "That'sh a little much. I mean, I've only every been with Winry, and I don't even remember it...and there wash Ilsha the other night...but that washn't anything sherioush, we only-"

She held up a hand to silence him. "You have a month to think about it." She closed up the files and replaced them in her desk. "It's nearly three, go get a drink, I'll get Breda to drive you home."

Ed stood up. "Thanksh." He pressed the cool compress against his lip and then left out the door. Closing it behind himself, he headed for the bar, icepack still in hand.

* * *

I figured I'd update, since I haven't done so in forever. DX  
Sorry it was so late, I've been in a bit of a lazy rut lately.  
I hope you liked it, tell me what you think. :)  
Thanks


	6. Chapter 6

*blows off the dust* I haven't touched this one in a while have I? Heh, sorry guys, but it'll pick up from here on out. I know it's been a while, but I finally figured out how I'm going to make the story progress and end. Took some time, I actually forgot about it for a while but NOW, I'm back.

Truth be told, I actually had three chapters written...but hated them and scrapped them all. I waited several months, and then, when I forgot what I had written, came out with this. If you notice too, it's no longer _drama/romance_, it's **romance/tragedy**.

This is where it begins...

* * *

Chapter 6

* * *

"Let me take a look." Ilsa said as she gingerly removed the icepack from his lip. She had caught Ed on the way to the bar and pulled him into one of the adjacent rooms for a brief summary of how his first night had gone. "Ooh. That's going to bruise." She leaned in and kissed his bottom lip softly. "Blocking punches with the face isn't a good idea." She smiled.

"I know." He said with an eye roll. She had led him into a room that was reserved for private clients, business men mostly, but sometimes it would be a husband not wanting to get caught by friends or the 'wife'. They were very fancy, lush beds, fine curtains and even a small bar in the corner.

She led him to the bed and sat him at the end, replacing the cold compress. Again, she pined him down like the first night they had met, stradeling his lap with either of her legs. "The first night on the job should always have a happy ending. Come on. Let's fool around." She tugged at his collar, undoing the first button.

Ed was skeptical, and sober this time around, so he shook his head. "Isn't this what you do on a daily basis, don't you get sick of it?" He tried to reason with her for a logical way out.

She huffed. "No. Why do you think I took this job?" She held up a little square piece of plastic. "Besides, I like to have sex and not get paid every now and again." She placed the corner of the condom between her teeth and clenched the corner of the package tightly so. "It disassociates sex with work."

From the time Edward had gotten stuck on that particular side of the gate, he had been trying to go home. He rarely made friends outside of work, he mostly kept to himself and tried his best not to get attached to anyone or anything. Sadly, no matter how far he traveled, how high into the sky a rocket went and how long he slept, he would look around, look up or open his eyes, and still be in the same place. In such a strange world, with no alchemy. He accepted it, begrudgingly so, at that moment.

Reaching up to the condom being dangled in front of his face, he took it into his own hand. "Sounds fun." Finally, even just for a little while, he would forget about his lost home and just live where he's at with the new life that had thrust upon him. Ed also felt he had to make up for paying for his first time, so he figured this would clean the slate. Hopefully.

* * *

As quietly as possible, he slid the key into his apartment door and opened it as silently as the rigid iron lock would let him. The door creaked as he opened it. "Ugh..." Ed cringed at the noise so early in the morning.

"I'm up, don't worry." Al's voice resonated from the kitchen. Al knew that whenever Ed had a late night, he always ended coming home and opened the as quietly as possible.

"Oh, great." He allowed the door to swing open full, and for some reason, it made less noise. A wide smile adorning his face he entered the kitchen. "What's for breakfast?" He asked, rubbing his hands together, knowing it was Al's day to cook.

"Eggs and sausage." Al handed him a spatula.

"What's all this?" He looked at the cooking utensil in his hand.

Al sighed as he sat back down. "You were suppose to make supper last night, but you decided to go out to the brothel, so now, you get breakfast."

Ed recalled that he did head down rather early the previous night, it was before Al had gotten home, so he did forgot. He really didn't want to make breakfast, but he was in too good a mood to complain.

"So, your night looked like it was fun." He said with sarcasm.

Ed interpreted as though he was implying something else, like what he actually did. "What makes you say that?" He smirked and went over to the stove and turned on the gas burner.

Alphonse was then confused. "Well...I thought the fat lip was a dead give away, but now with the smirk...I don't know what to think."

"Eh...well." He rubbed the back of his neck uncomfortably. "I got hit by one of Winry's clients and one of the other girls felt bad for me....so we..."

"Kissing it doesn't make it all better." He lowered his brow on one side and raised it on the other, the right side of his lip turned up into a half smile.

He snickered. "That's not entirely true, it did keep my mind off it." He laughed to himself, it was odd to him acting in such ways, he was use to being more reserved, serious and level headed. He glanced out the window as he waiting for the frying pan to heat up. "It's strange..." He said aloud.

"What? You being social? You're too young to be an old man Ed." Alphonse had managed the hit the nail on the head with his words. He hesitated but then continued to speak, fearful that his friend may take offense to his view. "Maybe the change of job is a good idea after all, I mean, you're not socializing with enough people. And look at you right now, one night out and it's already loosened you up...literally." He laughed.

Edward couldn't help but turn a bright shade of red. "I'm not loose...I'm j-jus..." He tried to think of another way to put it.

Waving a hand at him, Alphonse difused his frustration. "Don't worry about it so much. Life can be fun and games too sometimes, it's not all work." He grabbed the paper off the table and began to look for an interesting article. "Just enjoy the life you're living, don't worry about whether or not you're doing it right." He paused. "It's like..." Another pause. "It's like you're guilty about enjoying life. It's weird."

That line struck a cord with him. _Guilty_. "..."

"You work hard. That's more than some can say. So just lighten up. Halle der Spielzeuge seems to be doing you a world of good and you've only been there twice." He made eye contact with Ed. "Am I right?"

He had it spelled out for him. "Scarily so." Edward was guilty. Passing through the gate, he never knew if his younger brother Alphonse had been restored, so he was living life the way he felt Al was living still, cold, unfeeling, lifeless, like that suit of armor he was trapped in for so many years. For all Ed knew, his brother was fine and the only thing he was missing out on was having a sibling, which was still bad, but passable. He grabbed the eggs from the fridge and cracked on into the searing hot pan.

"You forgot to do the sausage first." Al quickly pointed out.

He looked down to the pan, slowly cooking the egg. It wasn't everyday that Edward learned something from an egg, but that day was special, he assumed. Things in his life didn't turn out because of something he did bad in the past, but now he was given a chance to make a new start for himself. With the egg, he had tried for a fried egg, but forgot to cook the sausage first.

"Damn..." Al said looking a the egg, going from translucent and runny to a nice clean white color. "I know it's going to stick and the yolk is going to break...now the yolk's going to be all dry."

Ed took the spatula and mixed the egg around in the pan till it was mostly a light yellow color. "...hope you like scrambled." But, like the egg, there were other options. They weren't the same as what he was initially going for, but it was just as good. He felt that if he kept doing what he was doing before, he too would end up very dry, just like the yolk.

* * *

That evening, Ed made his way back to the Halle der Spielzeuge for his second night of work. Ilsa was there to meet him. "Hey, early I see." She greeted him.

"Yeah." Ed smiled. He was well aware that Ilsa wasn't looking for a partner, the job description entitled her to a single life, but she was still quite friendly with him. "Has it been quiet tonight?"

"I suppose...if it weren't for Winry." She leaned against the wall of the outside of the bar. "She's still trying to get on the street with the rest of us."

"Doesn't she do that already?" Ed was confused.

Ilsa shook her head. "Because of the things Winry use to do, she's been appointment only. The rest of us just do our work. Some girls get put on the schedule because of demand, others because they're stealing...or in Winry's case, both."

"Both? What was she stealing?" Ed still wasn't familiar with terminology of the brothel.

Flipping her bouncy blond curls behind he shoulders, she lit up a cigarette. "Well, how it works is that for every client we get, we give all the money to Mama-san, then she divies it out among the employees. The rest hires bodyguards, medical expenses and even keeps the bar itself up to par. What Winry was doing, was giving false information. She'd say she only had, we'll say, nine clients, when in reality, she'd have nearly twenty."

"Oh my..." Ed caught a chill. 'T_wenty?_' He thought to himself.

"Yeah. Funny how she got caught though. Mama-san had a lot of faith in Winry when she was hired, figured she's bring in good money, but she kept coming ack saying that business was slow. So, she went and got one of the girls to watch her. Winry reported four that same night, but it was over ten."

"That's more than half." He folded his arms and recalled that Winry had asked him to stop for other men, maybe that's what she was still doing.

"Mama's probably going to give you the whole speech tonight, but you have the gist of it already." She held out her cigarette box to Ed.

He waved a hand in refusal. "Why would she be steeling like that? I mean, you guys make some good money here."

Ilsa shrugged. "Some people are just greedy...or maybe she's feeding an addiction. She better pass the blood screening next month, or else she's fired. It's two strikes and you're out, and she's been caught once already with too high level of opium in her system, so she'd best be careful."

Ed was familiar with opium, and he didn't take Winry to be a 'waste away' of that sort. Though he was prone to being wrong on occasion, so he didn't want to rule anything out.

"And remember." She pointed a finger at him. "If she's doing anything on the side, you best tell Mama, or else it'll be your job." She inhaled, held it, and exhaled again, the smoke traveled around her head. "You saw what one paycheque looked like, Winry's not hurting. Don't let her talk to you into her scheme, even if she agrees to give you a cut."

"I'll remember that." Ed was now regretting agreeing to work with Winry, it was so painful to see someone who he had loved and respected for so long, be degraded into something so greedy.


	7. Chapter 7

Once again, sorry for taking so long. I wrote the chapter, then my laptop battery died before I could save it. When it tried to do a recovery, it only recovered up to when Ed went out to the bar...so yeah. I was disheartened, all that work, gone. ;-;

Fortunatly for me, I managed to polish my idea and fix a plot hole I was struggeling with.

Here you all go...

* * *

**Chapter 7**

* * *

The rules were laid down very sternly so there could have been no room for error. "Ed, pull over for this guy." Winry said, eying a patron who she frequented.

"Ehh." Ed groaned, zooming past the older man.

"Are you deaf?" She leaned over the seat and into front. "I said pull over."

He tilted his head to the side as he spoke, not taking his eyes off the road. "And I didn't pull over. What part don't you understand?" He shot his eyes over to the girl for a split second to see a look of annoyance. "You heard what I was told by Mama-san, I lose my job if I do that. So no."

She sat back and kicked the back of the seat. "This is shit." There was a long awkward pause. "What if I cut you in? Ten percent."

"I said no." He reiterated.

"Fifteen." She haggled.

"No. Nothing." He was getting annoyed, this girl was a far cry from what he was hoping she would be. She was no Winry.

"You did the first night." She reasoned with him.

He shook his head. "I know better now."

Winry sighed again. "This is shit."

"You said that already." Ed grimaced.

* * *

"She just kept asking...the odd customer she would wave at with a sorry look on her face." Ed laid back on the same bed he did earlier that week.

"You did the right thing." She laid on the bed next to him, her usual gray silk skirt casually laid out on the bed by her legs, the slit traveled high enough to show a black lace guarder. A form fitting black silk top with a baggy neckline dangled tantalizingly low, showing off an expensive piece of jewelery, a double chain gold necklace, red and orange beads hung down off the main chain on separate smaller chains that fell at different lengths.

"I wonder why she does that anyway..." Ed rested his arm over his eyes, curious as to why someone would risk a high paying job, just so they could make even more.

Ilsa quickly removed it. "Why not ask her?"

He shot up in the bed. "She's still here too...I could probably catch her before she leaves." Ed swung his feet over the side of the bed and stood up on the high quality varnished floor; Winry said she was taking a week off, more or less to feminine reasons.

"What? Does that mean I get nothing tonight?" She playfully laid herself out for him, head tilted so she was looking at him sideways.

He laughed to himself as he refused the beautiful lady spread out before him. "It's been a week and she's still bothering me. I'm gonna find out before she gets herself fired."

"Tsk. You're no fun." She rested her head on her own arms. "Come back?" She suggested.

He shrugged on the way out of the room. "Depends on how long it takes me to drag it out of her. But if not, tomorrow." Ed said as he made his way past the crowd and into the main forayer. It was Friday, so it was packed to the teeth with people. He managed to fine Winry sitting in a quieter section of the bar. It was the non-smoking section, so it was relatively deserted. Upon arrival, Winry was not only having a drink, but also enjoying a hot bowl of tomato soup with a kaiser roll.

"Hey." Winry said nonchalantly as she watched him take a seat next to her.

"Hey." He mirrored her response. "So, I'm inclined to ask, before you go." He paused momentarily. "Why do you ask me to stop, knowing I won't."

"Hope." She answered him, somewhat in a daze. Apparently the wine she was drinking was sinking in.

"Hope? That I'll say yes?" He was unamused.

"Yeah." She sipped the tall glass of red wine.

"I'm not here to support your addiction, I'm here to work; so you might as well just stop." He rested his cheek on his automail arm as he saw her expression go form dazed to angry.

She squeezed the crusty roll in her hand, causing several crumbs to litter the table. "Who did you hear that from? Ilsa?"

"Sort of." He became scared. If this girl had any of Winry's traits, it was her wildfire temper.

"Listen." She leaned in. "I didn't fail a blood test. So I'm not in risk of being fired." Winry flicked some long strands of hair behind her back. "You want to know the real story?" She leaned in closer. "Before I got my bodyguard, I was called to a motel for a customer. When I got there, him and about five other people jumped me and forced me to take some sort of drug. They all had their way with me I imagine, I don't remember." She saw Ed's expression fade to despair. "...Oh, don't feel bad for me. I knew what I was getting into when I took this job. Besides, not only had it happened once before, when I came to, I was covered in bank notes. Go figure, I'm jumped by a whole group of considerate rapists." She dipped the bread into her soup and allowed it to become saturated. "Mama ordered me to get a blood test done for a trial that was held. We couldn't get them on rape charges, but they did force me to take drugs. Opium, if you must know."

"I-I'm sorry." He said with remorse.

"I don't need your pity." She laughed.

"I meant for accusing you. I should have just asked."

"Don't worry." She took a bite. "So will you stop for me next time?" Winry asked, mid chew.

"No." He smirked. "Why do you want so much money? What could you possibly need it for if you don't have a drug problem?"

"If I tell you, will you stop next time?" She tried to strike a deal.

"..." He just gave her a blank stare.

"Fine!" She gulped down the last of the wine. "Let's see how much this tugs at your heart strings." The blond girl held up her cup signifying she wanted more alcohol. "A few years ago, my family and I were going to move to London, just to escape the Nazi's. We're not Jewish, but we just didn't, and still don't agree with what Hitler's doing, so, we decided to move out." The bar keep had made his way over and took the cup from her. "We ran into a medical emergency, and the way that it ended up was that one of us had to stay here. My father offered, but I told him that he needed to watch over my little brother and mother. I would work up the money and buy my own passport and move there with them later. I was taking my time at first, working as a secretary for a bank, but then two years ago, I heard about the London bombings and decided to start working here." She spread her hands out in front of her.

"I stopped getting letters from my brother shortly after they moved. My father and I didn't get along, so I think it must be his doing. But my brother, he I got along quite well, he always looked out for me, always there for me." She smiled warmly. "My mother is an invalid and can barely communicate. She had an accident that left her with little brain function, so I like to think I would get letters from her if I could. That's why I'm in such a rush." Winry's eyes began to tear up, but that warm smile still stayed.

"I've never told anyone any of this, and if you let it out, so help me-" She shut her eyes tightly, fist clenched.

He held up a hand. "Don't worry, I won't...but." He hesitated. "Even still, I can't lose my job. I quit working at the factory, so if not for this, I'd be broke." He lowered his gaze. "I still can't make the extra stops."

"You're right." She wiped some mascara latent tears from her face. "You shouldn't worry about my problems. I mean, if I got fired, I'd be out all my money. I suppose I'll stop."

"I think it would be best." Edward was honest with her.

"And..." She paused in her thought to get her glass of wine from the bar tender, he needed to fine and open a new bottle. She sampled her drink. "Thanks--I just want to see him again. I may seem cruel to the people around me but I just don't want to get attached to anyone before I leave...but you." She held her glass out to him in a toast. "You look so much like my brother, I just wanted to keep you around. Still, I don't want to get too close. But you look so much like him, same hair, eyes, even your voice is remarkably similar. You have a strange accent, but German isn't your first language, I can tell. The similarities still shine through." Yet another tear escaped her eye and made a shimmering trail on her left cheek.

Ed twirled a stir stick absentmindedly around at the bar as he listened. He had never really realized just how much Winry was reminding him of himself. Concerned not in the slightest with where they were at, but where they were going. It was then that it hit him. '_London?_' That name had rang a bell in his head. '_I look like her brother? And then London bombings?_' He had realized that his connection to Winry on either side of the gate was eminent. He had no way of knowing for sure, but was the boy he came over as to this side of the gate the first time Winry's brother? If that was the case, how was he going to tell her that her brother may not even still be alive? And how would he explain how he knew that?

* * *

Heh. Tell me what you think.


	8. Chapter 8

I AM SO SORRY!!!!

My inter-webs broke...then I had a great idea...then I couldn't post it.

I absolutly LOVE how this chapter turned out! It's exactly the way I wanted it to work out.

I hope you all like it.

**_Remember! Italics mean people are speaking english._**

* * *

Chapter 8

Ed was sweating bullets as Winry spoke. He was positive of it, two of the same person couldn't exist on the same side of the gate at the same time, which is why he himself didn't come over in physical form the first time, rather he did so in the body of someone else, his alternate. How could he tell her, he was at a loss for words. "So..." He began. "Do you have much saved?" He tried to move the conversation along.

Winry held up her half empty cup at the bar tender, getting his attention. "A bit. My living expenses keep catching up to me."

"Why not move to a cheaper place?" He tried to reason.

"No. I like where I'm at, it's in a good neighborhood. Besides, I'd feel bad about selling my parent's home while I'm still living in Germany. I was born in that house." She said, polishing off the final half of her glass in one mouthful then handing it to the man behind the counter.

"I'm think you're suppose to just sip that stuff." Ed wasn't a fan of wine, but he was sure it wasn't meant to be chugged.

Giving him a shrug, she took hold of her bread roll and allowed it to soak more of the tomato soup in. "Who cares?" Having her glass refilled, she smiled and laid the glass down, making direct eye contact with Edward while she did so. "You should help me home."

"Why?" He reluctantly asked as if he didn't know why she was requesting assistance.

Winry held out his car keys in one hand. "I'm drunk." She sipped her replenished glass of alcohol with the other.

Ed checked his pockets. "How did you get them?"

* * *

Edward held on to Winry's arm as he carefully took her house keys out of an unsure hand and arranged it in the door so he could open it. "De ja'vu." He said after finally managing to haul Winry through the door of the two story home. It wasn't extravagant but still, he was sure if she moved into a small apartment she could easily save in record time. Edward recalled the night they met as best he could, this was exactly how it happened, he was too drunk to function and she helped him in, now the tables were turned, and Edward was left with a choice; stay or go.

"You can stay if you want." She said as though she knew what he was thinking. Giving her drowsy eyes a rub she yawned. Having his answer given to him without much thought, Winry decided to let him stay with her that night. She made a wide u-turn in the hall, using the walls as a guide and came to an uncomfortably close 'face to face' with Ed.

Quickly wanting to deter from anything happening between them again, he eyed the sofa in the next room. "I'll stay on the coach and be out of your hair by morning." At that moment, he realized that is feelings for Winry weren't what he thought they were. As much as he tried to hold out and think that she may have been the same, he just couldn't bring himself to do anything with her after hearing her whole story. Also, he had promised Ilsa something similar earlier that night, so he felt guilty about doing anything with Winry.

"Great." She hugged him in a haze and then made her way down the hall to her room. "Be out before I get up." Closing the bedroom door she left Edward standing in the hallway.

"..." Figuring she was planning on feeling ill the following morning, it was no wonder she wanted him out. Ed looked the house over, a small kitchen, a decent sized living room and from the looks of it, it had several bedrooms. She had said earlier that she was born here and had at least one sibling, so the rest of the rooms must have been upstairs.

Giving the downstairs one final look over, he came up to the couch and sat down on the center cushion and peered around the room. "Odd." She mentioned how much she and her brother got along, yet there were no family photos of them together; on the other hand, there was one of her and what appeared to be her father. There was also one with her and her mother. "Damn." Ed was hoping he could see a photo of the young man Winry was referring to, but to no avail.

Giving up for the time being, he decided to catch some sleep and so, dozed off on the coach, his metal arm wedged beneath a soft throw pillow. He briefly had a dream, but it didn't stay with him.

The morning was met with disarray. Winry quickly stormed into her living room and towered over an unsuspecting Edward. "What are you still doing here?" She shook him awake. "You have to leave now." She practically picked him up off the coach and straight to his feet.

"Why, you don't look sick?" He was being shoved towards the front door, it seemed he was being woken up in violent manners a lot recently.

She spoke rapidly. "I'm not, I'm expecting company. Now you have to go. Thanks for taking me home, thanks for not doing unspeakable things to me in my sleep and thank you for listening to me complain." Push, push. "See you at work next week. Try the veal at the café near the end of the road, goodbye." With one final shove Edward was on the outside and she slammed the door.

Ed was dumbfounded. He could have sworn that less than a minute ago he was curled up on a red velvet sofa, but now he was out in cold, seven o'clock in the morning air of Berlin. "Mmm." He stretched his arms behind his head and walked down to the driveway. He could see the dew still sticking to the front and side windows. He sighed as he entered the car and pulled out of the driveway.

No sooner had he made the turn to leave Winry's block when he spotted Winry peeking out the curtain in a discrete manner, barely touching the shade. Suspicion getting the better of him, he turned right, and decided to make a loop around the block so he could see what would happen next. Would she make a run for it, or was she really waiting for someone to show up? Slinking around the entire block, he parked several houses away from Winry's to see what would unfold.

The minutes passed and finally, the front door opened. It looked to be like Winry was leaving; she stepped out on the front step and glanced around, missing his parked car entirely. '_Why did she lie and say she wanted me gone before she got up if she was just planning on leaving herself? I could have left with her._' Which is when a second face came into view, a smaller red haired girl. Ed's mind raced with confusion, who was this person, and why didn't Winry want him to know about her? He watched them exchange conversation briefly and then Winry handed over a few bills to the thin girl.

Innumerable possibilities fluttered through his head, three to be precise. Was this girl a maid, her lover on their way to the market or another prostitute she paid? The last one didn't make a whole lot of sense, but the first two seemed plausible. He watched the girl go down the walkway and make a right turn. He was planning on following her, so he gave her some time to make a little distance.

Edward trailed the mysterious girl for three blocks until he finally pulled the car up along side her. She was wearing a modest green dress that reached her knees and tights beneath them, black in color which reached her ankles, meeting up with dark brown shoes. There was a bag that draped over her shoulder, it looked like an old military duffel bag. Her hair was tied back with a single elastic and it's length dangled just past her shoulders. From the view Edward had, he saw that her hair was naturally red and eyes naturally green, like Winry's old bodyguard, she was more than likely a Scottish immigrant as well. "Excuse me." Edward began in a polite tone.

The girl might as well have turned around and seen the devil himself, because the second she set eyes on him, she took off running in the direction she was originally heading.

"Wait!" Edward said as he clumsily tried to get out of the vehicle, he was trying to lock it up and not lose track of the girl at the same time. He watched her run and make a jump over a half-wall. "I just want to talk!" He bellowed at her; she didn't even try to look back, she just kept going. Ed remained right behind her, occasionally trying to coax her into stop by yelling, he actually wondered why it wasn't working.

This girl was agile. Bounding in between buildings, making it over three fences, across one park and then down an alley before he finally cornered her. "I just want to ask you a question." He said through panting.

The girl was terrified and also out of breath; her eyes frantically searched for a way out of the alley as Ed was taking a few more steps towards her. "Come on, I work with Winry, I just want to know what you were doing in her house." He tried to smile and reassure her, sadly, this wasn't the outcome. Grabbing an empty tin garbage can, she threw it in hopes of knocking him down and then running past.

Reflexes weren't something she was expecting to be so astute; Ed quickly punched the can out of his way with the right arm, and grabbed the vagrant girl as she tried to run by. "_Let me go!_" She bellowed in her native language.

"You don't speak German??" Ed mentally kicked himself for not trying English on someone who looked like they would have spoken it; it was no wonder she didn't stop when he called. "_Hold on. I just want to ask you a question._"

"_I don't answer to thieves! Let me go!_" She kicked and fussed and squirmed, but it was no use, she was trapped.

"_Thief? I'm Winry's bodyguard from work; I'm no thief._" Ed held her around the waist tightly against his own stomach.

"_Oh yeah!? Then why did she tell me to run if I saw you?_" She spoke with a sharp tongue.

"_She told you to run?_" He thought for a moment. "_Maybe you know something she doesn't want other __people to know. Namely, me._" She became calm and Ed released his grip.

"_What's this now?_" The girl turned and faced him, looking him over to see if his intentions were true. "_You're her body guard? ...Winry said you have an automail arm. Let's see it then._" She folded her arms and waited for Ed to show the goods.

"_What?_" He looked over at the destroyed trashcan. "_That right hook wasn't proof enough?_" He removed his glove and sported his metal fingers curled tightly into a fist.

She looked at the can, dented beyond repair, he had even tore a gash in it. "_True._" She allowed herself to get closer. "_So you're Edward?_ _Huh?_"

"_Yes._ _And you are...?_" He questioned the fiery young lady.

"_I'm Aria. I'm Winry's nanny._" She said. "_I clean her house and watch after her little one._"

Edward stared at her in disbelief. Apparently Winry was telling the truth, her expenses couldn't be cut. Though it made a lot more sense as to why she wanted him gone before she got up, she didn't want him to hear a baby or to see this girl leaving, knowing full well he was able to converse with her and Winry couldn't tell her what was ok to say, and what wasn't. _"What can you tell me about Winry?_"

She folded her arms. "_Why should I? If she doesn't want anything being told..._"

"_Are you hungry?_" He saw her smile.

* * *

Bringing her back to his apartment was a good idea; eating the amount of food she did would have cost Ed and arm and leg at any restaurant, and he was already out one of each limb to begin with.

"You know." Alphonse began. "Though she is eating all our food, she's so cute." He admired her, shoveling food in her mouth as though someone were trying to pry it from her hand. "Tell her I said she's cute."

"No." Ed frowned. "_So, do you eat much at home?_" He said, hinting to her stopping soon so they could talk.

"_No._" She said through a bite. "_My dad's a big man, he normally gets the biggest helping._" She pointed her fork at him. "_You know him. He use to be Winry's bodyguard, that's how I got my job; through him._"

Ed's eyes widened. "_Breda's your father? I can see the resemblance now that you mention it. But down to business._" He folded his hands. "_I have fed you food, now, you feed me a little information. What's this about Winry having a child? Is it hers?_"

"Ah, I heard you say Winry!" Alphonse chimed in. "Was this here the girl you were seeing at the brothel?"

Ed looked to his roommate. "I'll fill you in whenever I get some answers." He turned back to Aria. "_Anyway; proceed._"

"_Yes, Winry had a baby two years ago, I never got a definite on who the father was, I don't think she even knows. I just go upstairs, spend the night when I have to and go home in the morning._" She polished off her final bite of sausage and dabbed her mouth with the napkin provided. "_Winry won't go up there, so she can't keep the whole place clean on her own. And that's my job. 'Nanny and maid.'_" She held her arms out, palms up, in a forward shrug. "_Her mom tried to commit suicide at the top of the stairs, so Winry won't go up there. That's where the baby's things are, so...yeah. She's not well, is she?_"

"_Probably not._" Edward was shocked. He was expecting something a little less out in left field. He thought some more. "_Do you know when her mother did this?_"

"_When she tried to kill herself? Not really, but I do know it was long before she had the baby._" She sat back and made eye contact with Alphonse, who in turn, quickly broke it out of embarrassment; he had been staring.

"_Do you know why?_" He probed deeper.

She shook her head. "_That's really all I know. I can't really talk to Winry, she doesn't speak good English._"

Ed nodded. "_ I guess she didn't know how to say 'don't tell him anything' in a way you would understand. So getting you to avoid me was the best she could do._"

"_Seems so._" She stood up. "_Well, I think I've eaten enough for the rest of the week._" She patted her full stomach.

"She's so cute." Alphonse admired her strain with a stretch.

"What about the bartender at the usual spot? What about you not liking people who aren't German? Did that go out the window?" He was becoming frustrated, his friend was never usually so friendly.

"No, it didn't...she's just got really pretty eyes." He looked at her, once more making eye contact and then getting nervous again. "I have to go to work." Nine o'clock was fast approaching. Taking his leave, he grabbed his coat and headed out the door.

"_What's wrong with him?_" She noticed his discomfort.

"_He's late for work. And you ate all our food._" He lied and joked all at the same time.

"_I did not eat all your food! There's still some left!_" She stomped her foot.

Edward laughed. "_I know. I do have to ask though, how did you get all this information if you can't talk to Winry?_"

Aria smiled. "_My dad and his boss are good friends. She calls him her 'hard working Scot'. She had to tell him a few things so he could work with Winry, these were a few things she told him. Also, she doodles pictures for me, that's how I recognized you. Pony tail and yellow eyes._"

He had a brief thought as to how 'outstanding' Winry's drawing skill must have been to be done so quickly. "_A few things? Anything else I should know?_" He wondered if there may have been a clue into figuring Winry out.

"_Well..._" Aria thought about it. "_Nothing he told me, but something I noticed myself. She has friends who come over who she gives money to._"

"_Money? A lot?_" Edward was incredibly confused. Winry on one hand complained that she couldn't save money fast enough, yet she was giving it away.

"_Not much. Less than she pays me in a week. But she gives them all the same amount. I think they're all prostitutes too; they all have those rings, like yours_" Aria grabbed her 'over the shoulder' bag and placed it around her neck.

Glancing down at his finger, he caught a glimpse of the gold ring with the red jewel. Mama-san said it would come in handy, he didn't imagine she meant like this. "_Now this question is important._" Ed locked eyes with her. "_Do you know any of their names? I know you don't speak the language, but did you catch them saying any names?_" Much like Alphonse had done only a few moments ago.

She shook her head. "_No, sorry._"

"_Alright...What did they look like?_" He tried another method.

"_One had black hair with pale blue eyes. The other four are all blond hair and blue eyes, but one had curly hair. She also has a necklace I like, red and orange beads dangle from it._"

"Ilsa?" He spoke her name, remembering a piece of jewelery he saw on her last night. Purely a lucky coincidence, she changed it nightly.

Aria looked at him in revelation. "_They do say that name, now that you've mentioned it. But sorry I couldn't be more help._"

Giving her a shake of his head, he smiled. "_You helped me a lot. Now I have to go and find Ilsa and get some more answers. And no worries, I didn't hear anything from you._"

She nodded as he saw Aria to the door and closed it behind her.

* * *

There you have it!

I don't know when I'll be able to post again, I'm at a friends now, so...sit tight, I'll post as best I can...I'll bug my mom if I have to.


	9. Chapter 9

I'm alive! Here you go.

* * *

**Chapter 9**

* * *

The day passed slowly as Edward awaited the time when he needed to be at work. Knowing that Ilsa would be there shortly after him, he waited in the entrance hall for her to show up. A few patrons walked by, giving him an awkward feeling each time one of them stared; he caught a chill and shivered. Some of the people passing through the doors looked less than desirable, some smelled of alcohol, there were even a couple who had an odd white powder on their face. He would have to talk to mama-san if he wanted anything done about it, but she was the kind who loved her money. So he kept his opinions on the customers to himself.

Finally, Ilsa showed up for work, she was dressed in a shimmery navy blue gown that hugged her curves, right to her knees. She had a 'gentleman' on one arm and a black purse with a long strap on the other. He caught her attention. "Ilsa, do you have a minute?"

"Back off, she's workin'." The man, who smelled of whiskey, blurted out.

"It's business." He reassured him.

He pulled her close, her expression became annoyed. "So's zis."

"Actually." She distanced herself a step. "He works here, I'll just be a second. You can head off to our usual room if you like." She winked at him.

"I'll be waitin'." He gave Ed the stink eye as he swaggered on by.

Waiting until the man was out of ear shot. "Are all your customers this...sober?" He joked with a chuckle.

She rolled her eyes. "Seriously. What they do is get really wasted, so when they go home to their wives, they use it as an excuse for fooling around with us." She folded her arms and looked down the hall into the main foyer, there was music and cigarette smoke, as usual. "What can I do you for?"

"You see...it's about Winry." Ed became uneasy.

"Oh really." Ilsa too became uneasy. "Did she complain about you and I?"

Taken aback, he responded with uncertainty. "Do you think that she would?"

Giving that thought a second, she shrugged. "I just figured she did, but I guess not. So what is it then?"

"It's about her family." He began. "I walked her home last night and stayed on her couch."

"Oh, did you see...anyone else there?" She said abruptly.

"Not really, but I found out about it from her nanny, Aria, after she had left Winry's. But I heard some other things too." He fiddled with his words. "She said that you and three other girls go there every so often and she gives you money. Now, I'm not trying to talk you out of it so she can save for her passport...I just want to know what it's all about."

Ilsa shrugged. "Sorry Ed, I can't tell you. If her secret gets out, she'll cut me and the other girls off. What can I say, the extra money is nice."

"Secret? What secret?" He thought out loud.

"If I told you, it wouldn't be a secret now, would it?" She kissed his cheek and began to walk away. "Maybe a quickie tonight?"

Ed nodded. "Sure." He decided to snoop around the hall for some more information.

Following several steps behind Ilsa, he entered the first floor bar. Looking from side to side, he searched for a girl that had 'dark hair and pale blue eyes' like Aria had described; deciding that it would be best to look for her instead of the other two with blond hair and blue eyes, because in Germany that was like looking for a needle in a stack of needles. Scanning the bar he picked out three different people who fit his description. Approaching the first one, who was sitting at a table in the corner of the room alone, he sat across from her. "Hey there." He said in a polite tone.

"Sorry, I only do girls, husband's orders." She said, completely brushing him off.

Momentarily stunned, he made a quick recovery. "I'm a bodyguard, work here too; I'm just looking for some information on a particular girl."

The woman pulled a cigarette from her purse and lit it. "You have five minutes."She was quite rude.

"Do you know anything about a girl named Winry who works here?"

"I know she's a bitch." The woman said with bite, obviously calling the kettle black.

"Still. What do you know about her personally?" He folded his hands.

"Nothing. The only time I see her is when we work together. I don't make a point of talking to her, she's just...not right, you know, in the head." She shook her head. "Anyway, we're done here." She shooed him away with her cigarette hand.

"But it hasn't been five minutes, it hasn't even been one minute." He said with disbelief.

"So? I can't help you, there's no need for you to be here." The woman rolled her eyes and she turned in her chair to face as far away from him as possible.

"R-ight." Containing his frustration, he just got up and left, muttering over his shoulder as he walked absentmindedly. "What a cun-" Indecently he had bumped into damsel number two. Lucky him. This one was taller, but still fit the description, black hair, blue eyes. "Sorry about that."

"Oh don't worry sweetie, you can bump into me anytime." She touched his collar in a seductive manner.

"Heh." He couldn't help but be a little flattered. "I actually needed to talk to you about something."

"What is it baby? I'll do whatever you want." She said in a oddly deep voice while reaching out and taking hold of his ponytail, getting somewhat closer. She twirled it around her finger.

"I need some information about Winry. Do you know her?" He spoke over the music, it wasn't too loud, but he had moved closer to it.

"Winry? Never heard of her. I'm new, just started last week." She got a little closer. "I could help you out in other ways if you like solider."

"Sorry, but I'm a little busy. Maybe some other time." No sooner did he utter those words when he glanced up to see something horrendous. A five o'clock shadow adorned the underside of her face, or rather, his face. He then quickly caught sight of an Adam's apple. "Or maybe not at all. Forget I said anything." He quickly turned to run.

"Don't be like that. I can love as good as any woman." He did his best to show off what he considered a feminine figure in his women's clothing.

"I'll have to take your word for it." He quickly made tracks, leaving his newly made cross-dressing acquaintance in the dust. "That was terrifying." Ed held a hand over his chest and sighed. He looked around frantically for the third possibility but couldn't spy her anywhere. He made his way into the back hall that led to mama-san's room. He didn't see her very often, he hated the idea of his mother running a brothel, so seeing her face behind such a desk was disheartening. Edward knew that mama was familiar with all of her girls, men and all those in between. Like the new friend he just made. He quivered at the thought.

Before he could even make it to mama's door, a girl, not a stitch on her body, save for the towel on her head, exited the closest room to him; it looked to be the shower room, she was soaked. As she walked toward him, he noticed the criteria, dark hair, and these cold blue eyes that could freeze you. He didn't want to stop her from walking by, she was in the nude. He did however find himself becoming more desensitized, so he decided to give it a try.

He cleared his throat. "Excuse me." He locked his eyes with hers, not wanting to move them.

"I have to be somewhere in twenty minutes, so it's gotta be a quickie." She said without a hitch. Edward was beginning to think that the girls in this place were use to being treated like sex toys, hence the name of the hall, therefor weren't use to someone just wanting to strike up a conversation.

"No, I'm not looking for that. I'm looking for some information on a person." He continued.

"Mama has the girls ratings in her office." She was still sure he was looking for sex.

"No, again, it's on one girl in particular. She's special." He tried to finish his though.

"Francine the she-male?" She questioned.

"We've met--I'm talking about Winry." Finally, getting his thought finished, he saw her expression change. "You know her?" He grew hopeful.

"Yeeaah." She trailed with her words as she began to dry her hair, her arms in the air, chest exposed. Her arms moved back and forth vigorously, causing a lot of movement that Edward did his best to pretend wasn't happening.

Edward became interested in the light fixtures on the ceiling as she mauled her hair with the white towel. "Um, I uh, just..." He composed himself, becoming desensitized wasn't the same as being desensitized, he was not there just yet. "I was wondering if you knew anything about her kid. Like, who's the father."

She hesitated. "She doesn't want people to know...but..." She looked him over. "Since you like me, I'll tell you something."

"Like? I don't know you enough to form an opinion." He saw her eyes drop and then come back up to meet his. "..." He looked down, apparently, he didn't look away from her naked frame quickly enough, he had become a little 'frisky'. "I-" She threw her towel to him to cover himself.

"Don't worry, is it your first time here or something?" She smirked as she placed her fists on her hips.

"No...I'm new here, a couple weeks in now, I'm a bodyguard...uh, I'm sorry, that's very rude of me." He was embarrassed and thus tried to think of the cross dresser to bring himself down, it seemed to be working. A little. But not really, not with the counterbalance.

"Think nothing of it. Well..." She exhaled deeply. "Winry first told everyone that she didn't know who the baby's father was, then she told everyone he didn't want anything to do with her, so he took off."

"Really...thanks that helps a little." He smiled at this pretty girl before him. "By the way, I'm Edward." He only then thought to introduce himself. Remembering this familiar face from a long time ago, he was sure it was Clause from Xenotime, he was twelve at the time as he recalled.

"You know, your the first guy to tell me their name...I'm Klaus." She sighed. "Alright...one more tip. Her folks went to church everyday. But that's all you get...or maybe." She moved closer and reached for her towel. "Let's get rid of that before you go out."

He hesitated, but nodded. "Why the hell not." He had come to terms with discarding his morality when he started working at a brothel.

* * *

"So, will you tell me now?" Ed propped himself up on his arm as he leaned over Ilsa. "Hmm? I got that she knows who the father is and that her parents were extremely religious...that and her mother tried to commit suicide at the top of her stairs...other than that, I got nothing."

She laid back on the bed and placed her hands behind her head. "As good as a young piece like you is, I like my money. But I guess I could give you a hint." She rolled over and poked a finger in the middle of his bare chest. "It's got to do with why her family really moved."

"They were trying to get away from Hitler, right?" He said.

Ilsa shook her head. "That's just what she tells everyone. But that's all you get from me. If you want to know, you'll have to bring it up with her. But remember-" She kissed his forehead. "You heard **nothing** from me." She stood up, bare back to Edward. "Lest you lose out on this nice butt."

He smirked. "Sure."

"Ooh, don't forget." She tossed her dress over her head and straightened it out. "Mama wants you to 'initiate' the new girls at the end of the week, did you decide on if your going to do it or not?" Ilsa fluffed her hair out from the neck of her dress and then began the hunt for her undergarments.

"She got knocked up and her folks disapproved...that's all I got." He sat up in the bed and watched Ilas search.

"You're close." She stood up and swiveled her hips to scan the room. Ed smirked his wide Elric smile, one he hadn't used in a while. "What are you smirking at?" She glared at him as he pulled a pair of black silk panties from beneath the covers. "Give me that." She held out a hand as Ed tossed the garment at her. Briskly putting them on, she stretched upward.

"I'm close huh?" He gathered his hair and tied it back in it's usual ponytail.

"Yeah...but...there's other factors that you don't know about. Honestly, you may not want to bother. Winry's the only one who can fill in the blanks for you from here on out. But I suggest you not ask her, I don't think she can afford to pay a fifth person."

Ed thought to himself for a moment. "If I guess it...I won't tell her, but will you tell me if I'm right?"

Ilsa gave it a second to process. "Sure...because you won't."

"Sounds like a challenge." He smirked.

* * *

Let me know what you think.


	10. Chapter 10

You know, since someone guessed what I was planning, I decided to go in the OPPOSITE direction! This is why I want reviews!

Woot! Take this twist!

* * *

Chapter 10

* * *

That night, Edward laid back in his own bed and pondered Winry's situation. He didn't know why he was so entranced by her and her background, maybe it was because he still had feelings for Winry, his Winry, back in Armistis. He hated seeing her in such pain and he needed to know what was wrong before he could go about helping her. It wasn't any of his business, but he just couldn't help himself.

Night time came and went, ushering in a new day with new possibilities. Namely, the girls, he had to give mama-san an answer today lest she need to find someone else. Making his way to the kitchen he saw Alphonse at the table, nursing his lack of sleep with a rather large cup of black coffee. "I don't know how you do it." He shook his head as he sat at the table across from his roommate.

"What are you talking about? Staying up all night is fun." He said, right before a long drawn out yawn.

Ed raised an eyebrow. "Those dark circles under your eyes beg to differ. What were you doing all night anyway? From what I remember, you just started this project a couple of months ago."

He sighed, pinching the corners of his eyes between two fingers. "Yeah, but I had to submit the monthly budget today, and it is my own fault for procrastinating this long." Al rubbed his forehead. "It has to be in tomorrow, I just wanted it done today. It's so hard this month."

"Hard? How so?" He knew that Alphonse was good with numbers, so it didn't make sense.

"This budget...I don't know." He held up a sheet with the final tallies on it. "We're so short, even after factoring you out. As rude as it may sound, it's kind of a good thing you left when you did."

"No offense taken. In fact, I've got a little extra saved, so if you need anything..." He offered.

Al held up a hand. "We're good till next month, so I'll keep your offer mind. If that's ok." He smiled hopefully.

Ed gave him a nod. "No problem, I've got nothing to do with the money right off hand."

"Ed, you're a lifesaver." He said, sipping his coffee once again.

* * *

After running some errands in town, he made his way to Halle Der Spielzeuge to see Mama-san. The crowd that night was quite large, but it was no wonder, it was a Saturday evening, all the undesirables were out. Making his way to the back of the brothel and the vacant hall that adorned the 'employees only' zone, he came up to Mama's door. He knocked. "Come in." Her voice could be heard from the other side.

"You wanted to talk to me this morning?" He poked his head in, the rest of his body followed directly behind.

"Long time no see, and yes, I did." Mama-san peered up over her paperwork, it would seem that she and the rocket company were on the same schedule when it came to budgeting.

"I've been kept busy." He smiled.

"I heard. I also heard you turned down Francine." She snickered to herself.

Ed blushed in embarrassment. "Shh-He was a little to...a man, for me."

Mama-san laughed out loud. "To each his own. But down to business. Are you going to initiate my new girls for me?" Folding her hands together Mama leaned forward eyes shut. "Tell me yes."

Edward nodded. "Yeah. I didn't see much of a down side. I'll do it." He had turned the idea over again in his head and he _really_ didn't see a down side, he actually saw an 'up' to it. These girls would begin working and earning money, something a lot of women in this time and place didn't get a chance to do. Things were very different from back home, so if he didn't adjust, he would more than likely go crazy. He was far from calling himself noble, but he did like giving the sense of independence to people.

"Wonderful. Think you can manage two of them tonight? They showed up early." Mama flipped a few papers over. "Here." She passed him two resumes with one photo attached to each. The first girl was eighteen, short brown hair and brown eyes and the second was blond with brown eyes, which was a rarity and was twenty-two.

"Alright." He shrugged, having second thoughts, he thought they would all be around his age, not older.

"The rest of them can be in whatever order if you want, if you don't care, I'll just organize them in the way I want." She tapped the stack of the remaining twelve girls resumes on the table and caught Ed's attention. "So."

"How are you going to organize them?" He asked, out of sheer curiosity. "Age?"

"Bust size." Fanning herself with the papers she smirked.

Edward couldn't help but chuckle. "Essentially, it keeps getting better that way." He held out a hand palm up.

"Why Edward-" Mama stood up. "I never would have guessed you were the type. Then again, you are with Ilsa often. Is that something real, or just for fun?" Ilsa, out of all the girls, had the largest bust in ratio to the size of her body, there was Josefine, but she was rather large to begin with.

Nodding, he stood up to meet his mother's double, taking the papers from her hands. "It's just for fun, but that's alright, it's good when things aren't complicated." Papers in hand, he flipped through them; the girls were really pretty. "I'm only seeing 10's."

"For a good looking employee like you? Only the finest." She smiled.

After a short conversation about where and when he would be meeting the new girls, he headed off to get himself something to eat. He would meet with the first girl around nine-thirty, rest, and then the second at midnight. He was nervous. Being with Winry, he was drunk, the same with Ilsa the first time, these girls, he had to be in the right state of mind, totally sober. How would conversation go? Would they want to cuddle afterwards? Would it feel awkward to the point he couldn't preform? His mind raced.

"Calm down." Ilsa laid her hand on his shoulder, sensing his inherent discomfort.

"I'm trying." He sighed and paced in front of the door, the door that had his first girl behind it.

"Want me to warm you up?" She made a fist with her right hand and made a slapping motion into her opposite hand.

He hesitated. "...no. I can do this." He locked eyes with her. "...No I can't." He finally admitted.

She rubbed his shoulders, knowing full well rubbing the right side did nothing, she did it for effect. "Just calm down, it's just sex."

Her words rang in his head and he began to reevaluate his situation. He was in a strange place, with strange people who behaved strangely. Quickly, his mind shot back to the rocket factory and his reason for leaving in the first place. He had none. There was no reason for him wanting to take the job, Mama-san actually gave him the option of working for her or not. That was it, he couldn't refuse the face of his own mother. He felt so stupid. Ed had given up on doing things he enjoyed for a sinful life of alcohol and women. Truly not feeling like himself, he put a hand on the door knob and turned it.

"Let me know how she is." Ilsa winked at him as she took a few steps back.

"Sure." He said, now knowing why he was doing any of this. Was it for the money? Edward was confused, and so, for the time being, he decided to see where this flow of fate was pulling him. Aside from the life of debauchery, a life of uncertainty, a life of sin. He entered the room.

* * *

Later on, ten thirty to be precise, he found himself at the bar, a cup of brandy in one hand and a rather large plate of pasta in front of him, filled with noodles, chicken and various forms of vegetables, all coated in a cream based sauce. Mama apparently heard he and 'girl number one' had a good time and thought Edward may have needed a boost of energy, so she got a nearby fancy restaurant to rush in some food for him, to keep up his stamina. Not even being able to finish all the food, he took his brandy and made his way to a couch to relax. He had done it, he had stopped caring about his future and started focusing on his present, a few brief thoughts on his past.

Finishing the cup of alcohol off, he glanced around. "..." It was then he realized that he was comparing his life today, to a life spent in another world. Life was different. Very different.

"Edward." A female voice sounded behind him. He looked straight up only to have a pair of lips press down on his own. "You did good." Ilsa said, circling the couch she sat next to him. "Apparently she said that was just what she needed to get her virginity out of the way so she could start working with Mama."

Ed smiled. "I suppose...it's just...I feel odd doing this." He glanced to her.

Ilsa shrugged. "Before I left Switzerland...I had already bedded over ten men on my own before I heard about this place. So it felt as natural as a handshake. You've just got to let it go. No one here is gonna' judge you." She cuddled up close, her legs pulled up on the cushion. "You're giving these girls confidence to go all the way. That's a big step for some."

He shrugged. "I suppose...still." He looked to the clock.

"Don't worry, you're going to be fine." She leaned in and gave him a kiss, softly.

"Thanks." He rattled his glass with a few barren pieces of ice within. "How about one more?" Two drinks was maximum that mama would allow him to calm his nerves.

"Sure." She took the glass and rose only to make her way to the bar.

Edward smiled as he watched her converse with the bartender, she actually leaned over the bar to watch what he was doing. Her bottom stuck out from beneath her skirt; she had a red silk and lace teddy beneath her clothing that was obviously not trying to be hidden very well. Returning with liquor in hand, she sat back down in her spot. "Here you go."

* * *

Finally, after all was said and done, Ed headed home. A damaged sense of pride loomed over him, so he took the long way around, so long in fact that he passed right by Winry's house. He knew that she could be home, this was her week off. Making his way to her house he knocked on the front door. There was no answer.

Peering from window to window, he saw that there were no lights on. She may have been gone out for the evening, but that would mean that Aria was here watching after the little one. Slinking around the back of the house, he saw a single light on. Feeling around blindly in the dark, he searched for a rock; finding a large one, he lost his footing and stumbled. Shortly after he came across a smaller one which he tossed at the window; minding where the rock fell so he could throw it once again if need be.

The petite red head appeared in the window and he gave a broad wave to which she motioned him to go to the front door. Waiting one second upon arriving in front entrance, he watched Aria open the front door. "_What are you doing here?_"

Ed shrugged. "_I just wanted to talk to Winry._"

Aria allowed him to enter the room. "_She's gone out...and...Winry actually asked me not to let you in..._"

He was taken aback. "_And here I thought she and I were friends._" He said with a sarcastic tone. "_The more I think about it, the more it makes me realize that Winry's trying to hide something._"

The young girl raised an eyebrow. "_Wow, and you figured that out all on your own?_"

Sensing the sarcasm he rolled his eyes. "_I mean, she's hiding something big...why would she go to so many lengths to cover it up?_"

Shrugging, she responded. "_Don't know, don't care._"

Ed looked at the expression on her face. "_So...does this mean you're not going to let me look around?_" He said with a skeptical expression.

"_If I said no, you'd just be able to get past me anyway. I realize I'm small._" Folding her arms, she glared off in another direction.

"_I wouldn't do that._" He said, making eye contact with her. There were a few moments of silence.

Aria took a step back and shut the door, Edward still inside. "_Just, put everything back when you're done. And..._" She cleared her throat in an obvious way, hand outstretched.

She was asking for a bribe. Knowing Aria's family was lopsided when it came to food, he flipped her ten marks. Aria crumpled the bill and stuffed it into the awkward pocket on the side of her dress, the faded green flap lifted and fell back into place as she turned to go up the stairs. "_There is a room she keeps locked, but I did notice her go in there every now and again. When she came out the one time that I saw, she looked like she had been crying._"

Ed examined the rest of the hall as they made their way up the stairs. He took notice to the hole at the top of the stairs, exposing a beam. "_This must be..._"

"_Yeah_." Aria looked up, there was vague evidence of a rope ever being around the beam. "_No wonder she doesn't like coming up here...I'd offer to fix it, but I don't know how...or how to ask her even if I did._" She kept walking.

"..." Edward looked around, there were still no pictures. "_Maybe it's a shrine._" Edward shuttered at the thought as Aria presented the door.

"_That's kind of weird._" She wiggled the handle of the door in question. "_Do you have a screwdriver?_"

Ed looked at his hands. If he were back home, he would have just clapped and made a temporary door within the main door, but unfortunately, twas not the case. He looked around the frame of the door. "_Remember how people made the comment that Winry wasn't that bright?_"

Aria nodded as he watched Edward reach to the top of the door frame and emerge with a key that had been wedged in the frame. "_Gee, she is dumb._"

"_Dumb? Hiding something in plain sight, that's clever. I guess everyone has their moments._" He placed the key in the door knob and turned it. The room was dark, the windows were so concealed that not even the street lights couldn't penetrate the tomb. "_Where's the light?_" He fumbled in the dark and found a switch, upon flicking it, the light flashed brightly, but only for a half-second then it went black again. "_Dammit._"

"_I'll go take one from the other room...ooh, the closet has one._" Aria disappeared around the corner and emerged with a bulb and a small stool. "_I can't reach, even with this._" She passed him both items and he placed the stool beneath the outlet.

"_Fine._" He stepped up and proceeded to replace the light source. He took note to the smell in the room. It smelled old, like it was full of old machines, the smell of metal. Dusty too, it was apparent that she didn't clean frequently; Aria's presence was a lot more noticeable when it was left up to Winry to clean.

"_It stinks in here._" She glanced around the darkness. "_I don't know if I feel right leaving everything the way it is if it's a mess._" Covering her nose, the stench was overpowering.

"_There we go._" He had succeeded in removing the old bulb. "_Can you shut the switch off?_" She turned the switch to the downward position. "_And there we go._" He finished tightening the bulb when Aria hit the switch, he was momentarily blinded by the initial light.

"_Oh my lord._" Aria looked around the room, there was black everywhere, on the walls, the double bed with the canopy and especially on the carpet. "_Is it motor oil?_"

Edward's mouth dropped open as he looked at the apparent mess. "_Aria. Get out._" He took the burnt out bulb with him. "_Did you touch anything?_"

"_Just the stool, light bulb and light switch. Why, what is it? Poison?_" She became worried.

"_It's dried blood._" Ed looked at the bulb in his gloved hand. "_Go get me a cloth, I need to wipe out the fingerprints._"

Aria's face went white. "_Ok, b-but blood...are you sure?_"

He nodded. "_Yes, it looks old._" Something crossed his mind and he thought to himself. _'_Is her family really in London? Or are they in the ground?_'_

"_Old? How old?_" She nervously crossed her fingers.

"_I can't tell. There is one thing I have to check though._" After replacing the broken bulb because it was different from the working one, and then wiping clean any of Aria's fingerprints, they made their way to the back yard. "_I tripped over a rock earlier that felt out of place._" He brought a candle to see better in the back yard. "_I just had a sickening feeling, I hope I'm wrong._" Edward held out the light and illuminate the stone which once tried to trip him. The letters v-a-t-e-r came into view.

"_What's that say?_" She peered down at the white lettering on the deep gray rock.

"Vater? _That means 'father'._" He spoke in a grim way. Aria covered her mouth with her hands. "_I hate being right. I was doing some thinking, and I speculated that she may have gotten pregnant from her brother, the way she talked about him and the information I received seemed to point that way..._"

"_Nasty._" Aria cringed.

"_But, from the looks of it, it might have been her dad. This could be vengeance we're seeing_" Ed crossed his arms and pondered.

"_I don't think he is._" Aria said with doubt, scratching her cheek with her finger. "_I mean, her mom and dad were blond, and so was her brother. It couldn't have been any of her immediate family_"

"_What--why?_" He raised an eyebrow.

"_The baby has black hair._" She said looking down at the rock and it's surroundings. The grass on the plot was grown over, so it obviously happened a while ago, but there was something else out of place that made Aria's blood run cold.

He paused and looked at the offending stone. "_This __is__ strange._"

"_Maybe it was one of these guys._" Aria took Ed's hand and moved it in such a way it shed light next to the rock, revealing three more unmarked graves.

Ed's eyes widened. "..._Interesting._" It was very interesting because one of them looked like it was recently dug out.

* * *

HA! Take that!

And it's not as obvious as you think. Heheh...hehe...Happy guessing. :)


	11. Chapter 11

So, I broke my computer...ok, it was my boyfriend's computer, but I broke it. Overheated, fried the video card.

I'm just now borrowing my aunt's new computer to give you the best of the best, only the finest!

I also now realized that I needed to do a little character building. Ilsa is going to become a very important part of the investigation that Ed does, so it's best you get to know her a little better.

* * *

_Chapter 11_

* * *

"_She told everyone she didn't like going up there._" Ed pondered as he sat at his own kitchen table, spinning a square saltine cracker on its corner. Small flecks fell from it each time he touched it. "_Her motivation maybe?_" The cracker fell. "_Motivat__ion to keep a high paying job she hates. She could save quickly then run._"

"What are you still doing up?" Alphonse walked past the kitchen to go to the bathroom and saw Ed's shilouette at the table.

"Just deep in thought." Brushing a few crumbs on the table out of the way, he slid the file containing the factory's budget towards Al. "By the way, your math was flawless, you're missing a three hundred."

"Really?!" His eye's widened.

"I'd like to think someone bought materials and didn't mark it down, but...theft looks more promising. Who can buy materials with exact intervles? Taxes usually stop that." He watched Al take the papers in hand and closly looked over the marks Ed had made. "I suggest looking for some sticky fingers." Tapping the table with his heavy hand, stood up and went toward his own bed.

* * *

"I believe I've figured it out." Ed announced as he slipped his automail around Ilsa's back.

"Figured out what?" She was slightly confused but smiled all the same.

"Winry. I think I know her secret." He smirked.

"Do you really want a cut that bad?" Ilsa laughed.

"No." He assured her. "I just love figuring things out." He moved in front of her. "You'd tell me if I'm right?" She nodded at him. "Great..." Ed inhaled deeply. "She and her brother were in love and she had a kid by him. Outraged, her father blamed her, not wanting his reputation to be tarnished, he just up and moved, abandoning her here. She still loves her brother and doesn't want to give up on him and doesn't want his name to fall to slander. She pays you four girls to keep her secret."

Her eyes widened.

"...so, am I right?" He had pulled Ilsa out back away from the crown to get a more accurate answer.

Ilsa was just in awe. "And you got all that in a couple days...you are right though. It just took me a few months to guess." Folding her arms, she looked over her own shoulder. "A small detail you left out." Edward listened on in anticipation. "The reason her mother hung herself is because she got pregnant. They were very religious, her mother was devestated. The hole is still exposing the beam at the top of the stairs if you ever go there."

"Well then..." Ed nodded. Winry was apparently lying to these girls as well; this only fuled his curiousity more.

"If you're so good as figuring things out-" Mama's voice rang from around the corner. Ed and Ilsa tried to look inconspicious. "Don't give me that, I know about all my girls. I don't care, workers are workers." She walked to Edward and piled the books, recipts and files into Ed's arms. "I heard you talking earlier, you blance budgets? You did for the rocket factory, do it for me. Would you?" Ed nodded. Mama locked eyes with Ilsa. "I still think it's terrible what you're doing to Winry. I pay you plenty."

The younger blond girl shrugged. "Money's money...and I hate her." She snickered.

"Shouldn't you be somewhere else? Namely on your knees, making me money." Mama-san folded her arms, not before shooing her away.

"Yes Mama." Ilsa pecked Ed on the cheek. "Knock em' dead." She said refering to the new girls he would bed.

Observing Ed watch her walk off, she scoffed. "Looks like a little more than a physical thing if you ask me." Turning around, she began to walk toward her office. "Follow me."

"I've got no clue what you're talking about." He played dumb as he kept in toe with Mama. Feelings were beginning to develop for Ilsa, that was no doubt, but he knew it would never pan out.

"You'll get hurt if you pursue her. I suggest quitting now."

"I'm not in pursuit. She's the one always on me." He reached Mama's desk and laid down all the papers and books.

"Regardless." Mama pulled out her chair and offered it to Edward. "Stop giving her ammunition."

He looked down at his work and hesitated. "So...about Winry."

"You had it right. Ilsa didn't need to tell you anything else. You better not be thinking of taking money from her." A scornful look on her face.

"No way. I have enough." He glanced over a few papers, he decided to keep this speculation to himself until he knew more.

Scorn to smile, Mama turned around. "I'm missing over five grand. I'll be mingling, come find me when you figure it out."

"Got ya'." Ed went to work. After Mama left, the room, Ed thumbed through the papers some more and within the hour he had located the uncalculated funds. There was some construction done on the brothle in Belgum after a small explosion in their boiler room. Reporting his findings back to Mama, she gave him a pay advance on the spot.

Flipping the bills over in his hand as he counted it, he managed to catch the eye of a certain blond lady. "You're doing favors for Mama? She must really trust you." Ilsa gave him a poke in the shoulder.

Facing her he waved the bank notes. "Yeah, I live a pretty basic life, I don't know what to do with all this."

"I live pretty fancy. You should let me guide you." She looped her arm in his. "What time do you have another girl?"

Edward sighed. "Do you have to say it like that." He thought. "I think she said it wasn't until three."

"Great!" She exclaimed. "We have time to shop."

"Shop?"

* * *

Ilsa had to change out of her atire for work and into something more pedestrian. She had on a light orange-brown dress and draped over her arms in shawl fasion and beneath, the dress continued on to he knees, hanging straight down. The hem of the dress on both upper and lower layers had dark brown glass beads that weighted down the fabric. It was baggy all over and showed off none of her figure, had anyone been told she was an escort, they would have rejected the very thought. She did still however have on her jewelery, along with the same ring as his own. The thin gold band, the red jewel and the swirl of gold holding the rock in place.

"Why are we here?" She asked him, looking from window to window. Fancy stors lined the streets in this length of town.

"What? You brought me here." Edward felt awkward with all the blue bloods walking around. Monicles and canes.

"I know, it's a quiz." She stopped in front of a jewelery store to admire the shiny diamonds behind the glass.

He thought. "You want me to waste my money?"

"Not quite. You need to be more extrgavant!" She exclaimed. "You're handsome, play it up some."

"Uh..." He found himself being dragged into a tailor. No sooner had they gotten in there was Edward in a suit several sizes too big, being measured and dotted by an excentric man named Bjorn.

"We need a flexable material that will allow for his automail to bend and move as it should...however." He lifted Ed's arm to eye level, which wasn't far, he was up on a pedastool, three mirrors in front of him, all at different angles. "We also need an inlay that won't get caught up and be pinched. They tear so easily." He leaned towards Ilsa as he fussed with a sleeve. "You know how it is."

"We need to be somewhere at three, can you have this done by then?" Edward said, unamused with the events taking place.

"What do you take me for? Of course." The man smiled. "We're done here, just leave it with me. Go have yourself a coffee at the end of the block and in one hour, come back here."

Taking the man's word, they made their way the small cafe who's prices made Ed's appatite disappear. "That much for a single pastry? Ridiculous."

Ilsa had bought one of her own and dipped a shiny silver spoon into it. It was a manner of trifle. "Here." She held out the spoon to him, a glob of sugary chocolate and cream at it's tip. He leaned in and ate it right off the spoon. His mouth was overcome with flavor. "See."

"My...that's pretty good. I'll stick with water though." He didn't want to be seen eating a fluffy little dessert, it was emasculating. He would have to come by and pick one up to take home when there was less of a crowd.

"Edward." She said, tapping the spoon on the top puff of cream, flattening it out over the top of the desert bowl.

"What?" He couldn't help but notice Ilsa's expression deepen somewhat.

"It's just..." She gathered up one more spoonful and extended it to him. "One more. I'm sure I won't be able to finish it all."

He took the spoon from her hand this time and cleaned it. "That's not what you wanted to ask, was it." He refused to give the spoon back.

"..." She glared at the spoon. "It's just...I only have fun with you."

He was struck, giving the spoon back, he leaned in. "You always have fun."

"No I don't. I mean, I thought I did." She took up another spoonful and this time, took it herself. "Ever since you came around, it was just different. Remember that time we were fooling around and fell off the bed? We laughed about it."

Ed couldn't help feel a little embarassed talking about this in public, but there wasn't anyone close enough to eavesdrop. "Yes."

"That was fun. I fell off the bed once before and I was scolded. Told me if I didn't do my job right, he wasn't paying. You were nice. I know you weren't paying, but it felt good knowing I wasn't obgliated to be perfect." Ilsa spread some more of the cream around. "I don't want to keep doing this forever Ed. I want someone to respect me, not just want me."

His heart was beating faster, not pounding, but Ilsa's words were touching. "No one says you have to stay."

"I know...I just thought this was what's best for me. And now, I don't know if I can have a normal life. I don't know how to work. I haven't worked in nearly eight years, and even still, I only worked as a waitress at my father's resturant. That's actually how I met my first client. I was twenty."

Edward paused mentally in the conversation to do some simple math. Twenty plus eight made Ilsa twenty-eight. "You don't look twenty-eight." He had then realized the ten year gap between the two of them. But she didn't look her age, her face was round, no dark circles beneath her eyes and above all else, her breasts were perky. Not something you came across it the day and age that it was.

"Thank you. Despite how much you see me drink, I treat my body pretty good. I have to be in good shape for a job like this." She took another bite of the trifle. "You're not bothered by me now that you know how old I am?"

He shook his head, lying to her somewhat. "No. I'm just amazed at how good you look."

"Thanks. But there you go again. You didn't care about my age, you just enjoyed spending time. I know it was just sex, but...it made me happy. Truly happy." She laid the spoon beside the bowl. "I know things could never be permenant between us, I just wanted to say 'thank you' for helping me see that I need more in my life."

Ed smiled. Even through debotcherous acts, he managed to help someone. "I'm glad to hear that."

"I still have a lot of gambeling debts to pay, but as soon as they're done, I'm going to move on from here...I'll sell my gold and move. Money's useless if it's in a bank. It's in a safe in a nice tight corner of my house, so when I'm done, I have some back-up." She glanced at a married couple, laughing and ordering food together. "Maybe find myself a man, my age" she smirked at him "Have a child and get old together. Someone who can see me as a person."

"Not many people have your strength Ilsa, I'll throw in some encouraging words whenever I can if need be." He touched her hand, she squeezed it back.

As the time passed, they made their way back to the tailor only to have him say "What took you so long. Go. Go try it on." Gleefully he placed the garment in Ed's arms and guided him toward the changing room. Minutes later, Ed emerged, a black suit from head to toe. "Allow me to explain the apparent bizzar design." He motioned to the pants. "As you can see, the pants are of a straight style, but the coat" He referenced the collar, which traveled up to his neck. "This isn't a tradional coat. As you can see, there are accents of asian style to it, namely the collar. It was difficult to cater to the automail, but the Japanese know their silk, this is triple lined in the right shoulder, giving you not only mobility, but durability. Traditional style coats get caught up to much in this modle you have, but this coat won't. It's built to fall straight, not to bunch. And..." He tugged the fabric. "There's give to it." He opened the coat and pointed to inner lining. "It's like and accordian, it will stretch out, but not tear."

"Sharp." Ilsa nodded, looking Ed over.

"Indeed." Ed buttoned the coat up with it's seven buttons, it made his whole body look sleek and black. "I like the collar." He tugged it, there was room to breathe. "regular tuxedo's are hard to breath in I find. This is nice."

"But it's missing something." Ilsa cocked her head to the side, not looking directly at Edward, rather at his reflection in the various mirrors. She could see the tailro become slightly offended. She snapped her fingers. "Necklace."

Bjorn brightened. "I agree." So long as it wasn't the suit itself, he was no longer purturbed. He disappeared into the back and came back with a long thin box. "Some gold my good sir, would be just the thing." He opened the box to reveal a medium thickness, flat gold chain.

Ed removed it from the box and hung it around his neck. It fell over the collar and nearly touched the second button. He couldn't resist, even he, deep down, loved how classy he looked.

"Maybe a cane too?" Ilsa suggested.

"There's the line." He laughed as he hopped down from the pedastool. After paying the man, they walked back to the brothle, it was nearly two-thirty.

"Ready for number three?" Ilsa said, nudging him in the shoulder as they stood in front of the hall.

"Bring it on." He nodded and the entered together.

* * *

There you go. Don't know when I'll post again, but we're on the cusp of the climax. Next time, we're going to approach Winry and find out what really went on.

I like how their relationship turned out, its like friends with benefits. :P


	12. Chapter 12

Alright, finally going to finish this one.

I still don't have a computer of my own to update on, but I'll try to borrow one.

I know you'll like this one. The plot has now reached it's CLIMAX!

Enjoy.

* * *

**Chapter 12**

* * *

Giving his week old gold chain a tug he held it up so he could see it then allowed it to fall back into place. "I still like it." He smiled, his legs crossed at the ankle while laying on the familliar red covered bed.

Ilsa took off one of her earrings and laid it on the dresser then examing her waistline in the mirror. "I know, I just mean, it's time to get another one. Fourteen girls is a lot for a newcomer, you deserve a treat. I mean, for someone who's never had sex randomly before."

"It's not random, Mama picked them." He thought for a moment. "Well, I suppose they were random in the beginning." It was a success, Ed had finished his task on initiating the new girls. He was proud of himself, but not enough to brag about it, close, but not quite. He never valued sex the same way others did. He was never given a deeper meaning to sex as to work his own sex life off of, from having no parantal guidance and only text books about it, he was very much a blank slate. All he knew was that it needed to be safe. This world was different, so he just adjusted his beliefs to fit the times.

There was a knock on the door then Mama appeared in the entrance. "What are you doing?"

"Having fun." Ilsa said, half perched on Edward.

"You need to have fun over here, he asked espically for you." She brought an older man into view, one with a 'wife beating' expression on his face, or was that just his regular face?

"Alright." She left the room and waved over her shoulder to Edward. "Hope you don't miss me too much." She smirked.

"After the past week? I think I'm set till years end." He looked pleased with himself, he had initiated all the new girls over the past week and was just in general, in a good mood.

The customer eyed her with contempt. "Where's your other earring? I'm paying you not to dress like a slob." He grabbed her by the hair and jerked it up revealing a missing earring. "Is this how you present your girls?" He looked at Mama-San who was still standing in the hall. "Like a bunch of slobs. I'm not paying full price if she's not going to be decent." It was obvious the man was trying to get a discount.

Mama was at a loss for words but fortunatly for them both, Ed intervened. "You forgot your earring in the room Ilsa." He walked right up to her and replaced the thick gold hoop on the soft lobe of her ear. She gave him the most thankful smile she could muster and he blushed as his cool automail and warm fingers fixed the bobble. "If you have any problems, you can come to me, Mama's a busy woman." He said with a poison tongue.

"I don't like the cut of your jib laddy." The forigen man grabbed Ed by the scruff of his new suit.

No sooner had the stranger tightened his grip, that Ed had an automail hand around his neck, squeezing hard, not enough to kill, but hard enough to make his eyes buldge and his feet hover three inches off the floor. "You're going to treat her good, pay, and then get out. If she tells me you were disrespectful in any way, you and I will have words. Clear?"

"As a bell." He said clawing at Edward's steel fist.

"Wonderful." He let go. "There you go Ilsa, make sure to treat the man well. He's a paying customer."

She smiled a sultry smile. "Yes sir." She gave him a wink. Taking the patron by the sleeve he followed behind her.

"I'm sorry." He said, slightly defeated.

"You did the smart thing. But no worries, I'm here to make you feel good. Just be nice." She tugged him around the corner and out of sight, the mans expression seemed to lightened as she led him around.

Mama-San smiled and approached Edward. "Such a 'knite in shining armour' personality...Edward."

He turned to face her. "There was no reason to say that. She deserves to be treated like any other person."

"So do you." She said abruptly.

"Huh?" He could see a remorseful look on her face.

"You see." She reached into her purse and pulled out a money clip, obviously, stuffed with money.

"This is for...helping Ilsa?"

"No." She handed the whole thing to him. "It's for all the girls."

He laughed. "What do you mean? I was just doing them a favor. Free of charge."

Mama shook her head. "They weren't new workers, they were customers."

"..." Ed stared at the money.

"Some ladies that came in and saw you and inquired about you. I told them that you weren't one of my sex workers, but a few of them offered to pay double. I just couldn't refuse." Mama did love her money. "They said it was your eyes, no one around here has yellow eyes like you, they were just enchanted. I'm sorry I lied, but I couldn't turn down the money, after the boiler accident in Munich, we were falling behind."

Ed turned the money over in his hand, counting it briefly, it was more money than he had been paid. Ever. His face went white.

"Are you upset? Remember, it's just sex."

"For money..." He was then at a loss for words. "I'm goning to go take a walk." He placed the money in his pocket, turned his back and began to walk away.

"You'll come back?" She said hopefully. "I still need a bodyguard."

"When have I ever let you down?" He said, still staring at the money. "I'll be in a little late, maybe."

"Not a problem..." She went to say more, but there were no words, she had lied to somone who had done nothing but help her. She bit back a tear. Ed left and went into the main hall, assumable to leave completly. Mama hadn't considered his feeling on the whole thing and felt terrible about lying to him. "I have to make up for this...mm.." She went straight to her office, to try and make things right.

* * *

In the main hall, Ed was having a drink or two with Franciene and Clause. "I was lied to, I believed her too." He said, halfway in the bottle. "I mean, I've been lied to before, but this, this is, this is...this is just aweful. Nothat I find whatyou guys do is bad, it's just not for me. And to lie about it to me. I feel so used."

"I know what'chur talking about boy," Francene began. "They lied to get me here. To think, I was going to be mixing drinks and selling hash, but here I am, blowing men and women alike."

Clause piped up, her french acent ever present. "Daddy told me that if I make enough money, he would take me to school." She looked sad. "But I'm still here after three years pass."

"I'm here because of that bitch Winry." That was the first time he had spoke so ill about he, it may have been an alcohol fulled attack, but it was there. "If she hadn't come and found me and asked me to be her bodyguard, I would be in here doing this. I'd be building rockets and getting closer to getting away from this world." He thought for a moment. "It is all her fault." He stood up, a teeter in his step. "I'm sick of being lied to. I want some answers!" He finished off his beer and turned toward the door, Clause and Francene tried to restrain him.

"Don't be'ya fool boy." She pleaded.

"No worries, I just want an answer. No pain, just words." Ed pulled his coat back on and buttoned it to the best of his ability.

"You'd be best to stay away from da'girl, she's poison." Francene said.

"She'll make you sad." Clause followed up. "She won't love you."

"That's not whatI-want_. _I just want an answer from something she told me, I won't be able to sleep if I don't."

Francene and Clause just looked at one another and then to Edward who was making his way to the door. "Boy's in fer a heap of troubles."

The other girl nodded in agreement. "Wonder what she lied to him about?" They exchanged confused glances.

* * *

Never had Edward been one to pace himself drinking, so in his angered and drunk state he immedatly went to Winry house. As usual, all the lights were off with the exception for the one upstairs. He pounded on the door with his heavy metal fist. "Winry!" He bellowed and proceeded to bang on the door. Calling out a few more times, he had some success. Winry opened the door. She was dressed strangly, long pants, a long sleeve shirt and a shawl covering it.

"Are you trying to wake my neighbours. AH!" He pushed her back.

"You're nothing like her! I don't know why I even care about you." He was closing in fast, not giving her time to make distance between the two of them.

"Who are you talking about?" She backed into the kitchen, her house went around in a loop, so she at least didn't need to worry about getting cornered.

"My Winry, she's not like you at all. She never lied to me." It was obvious that Ed's better judgment had left him bereft of any sanity. He sounded to Winry like an insane man.

Winry made her way around the corner, Ed's scowle following every close behind. "I never lied to you."

"No? I'm sure you did." He backed her down the hall and back into the living room, a room away from her front door.

Winry was hoping to just push him out the front door where he came close enough. "I don't know what you're talking about!" She raised her voice to meet his.

"Your brother, your mother and your father, where are they?" Ed pushed her onto her couch, Winry looked as though she was going to cry, but at this point, he no longer cared.

"They're in London. I'm not lying!" She looked deep into Ed's hazy eyes as he leaned in close to her face.

"Yeah? I don't think they are. I think they're in the ground in your back yard." Ed snarled.

His breath smelled of whisky and beer, she turned her head. "No they're not!" She defended her earlier statement. "You're crazy!"

"I'm not crazy! I know they're there, there's three tombstones. Maybe we should go do a little digging." He stood up, stumbled, and turned to the front door. As if a lightning strike, he felt a sharp pain in the back of his head and closed his eyes. Upon opening them, he was in another room, arms tied and legs bound to a chair in a dark room. He groaned.

"Oh Ed, what were you thinking?" Winry said, running a hand along a lamp with a solid marble base.

"What?" He said in a daze, trying to see his surroundings, but it was no use, it was pitch black.

"Here, let me help you see." She flicked on the blinding overhead light.

"Ahh." Ed cringed.

"Hangover? Thought so. Or it could be the bump I left on your head." She patted the lamp again. "Nice lamp...What do you think?" She sauntered over and sat on his lap.

"Uuh." He tilted his head back to get a better look at her face, unblurred. "Great...uh, what's going on?"

"Oh." Winry perked up. "Right." She leaned over Ed's shoulder and grabbed something from behind the chair. She emerged with a shot gun. Winry smiled wide. "I'm going to kill you."

* * *

Yet another cliffhanger, hehe.  
Tell me what you think


	13. Chapter 13

I'M BACK! MUHAHAHA!

No time, nearly 5AM, need sleep...

Enjoy...zzzzzz

* * *

Chapter 13

* * *

Winry ran the barrel of the gun across Ed's cheek once again. "You had no business poking around in **my** business." She butted him with the opening of the gun on his forehead, leaving two small, faint red circles.

"Ah." He cringed. "Why would you bring me into your life if you didn't want me involved in it? Wait...you spoke English." He locked eyes with the blond woman perched frighteningly on his legs.

She smirked. "People are a lot more loose with their words when they think you're too stupid to do anything with the information." Winry touched foreheads with her captive. "I'm so giddy." She laughed, it was creepy.

"You're crazy." He broke the skin on skin connection they had. "Just let me go. I'll forget about you. Trust me." Trying his best to bargain with this girl wasn't something he saw ending well.

With a quick motion Winry rose from Ed's lap and tapped the gun against her hand, pacing as she did so. "Maybe. Hear me out, I need to vent to someone and I don't plan on doing that where I'm going."

"Going? Are you leaving town?" Ed tried to buy himself some more time, hoping he could either persuade her otherwise or find a way out. To his left was nothing, but the right side had a dresser with a few things on it, unfortunately nothing that looked like it was any use. He inwardly panicked, his breathing became heavier. Ed knew he was going to die.

"Yes. I'm going to go find my mother and brother in London. I know the city they went to, but no street address. I'll find it though, I'm resourceful." She pondered. "Anyway. Let me tell you what led you to this..." She looked him over. "...trouble."

"I don't care." Ed hung his head over the back of the chair. "Just shoot." At that moment he was really hoping that she was bluffing.

"That's not nice. Listen and I may not shoot. Maybe." She smiled playfully and cocked the gun. "Maybe." Repeating herself she laughed again.

"I think you need to get some help." This was met with a gun to the head, covering the original red circles.

Winry scowled. "Quiet. I've been to a few shrinks, they just try to make you soft and accept your issues, none of them could help me."

"Murder is serious, you really just need to move on, don't do it again." Trying his best to reason with the rational side of her, it was fruitless.

"I'm not bothered by that." Her expression darkened.

Giving it a second to process, he spoke again. "Was it working at the brothel? Because you can't change that by killing me...wait." He thought again. "Do you kill the men you sleep with?"

"No. Just you...and stop guessing, you can't." She laid the gun up against the arm of the chair. "You may have noticed that the room-" She turned around and looked over the blood soaked room. "-needs a little cleaning." Ed had been in the room before but now he was about to find out what happened. "Two years ago-"

"You haven't cleaned in here in two years?"

"Shut up. I didn't clean because I didn't want to forget." Winry started to walk slowly around the room. "Two years ago we had an incident-"

"Did you rehearse this?" Ed was becoming careless with his words, trying to get to her one way or another was all he had left.

Winry glared down at him. "...shut...up." She paused to make sure she was going to get time to talk. "The incident was the death of three different people."

"Your family?" Ed questioned.

"NO!" She snapped and grabbed the gun. "I said shut up." And proceeded to jam it Edward's mouth. "Shut up and let me finish! One more peep out of you and I paint my wall with your head."

"K..." He uttered, unsure if that counted as a peep or not.

"Good...it wasn't by my hands." She lowered the gun back to the arm of the chair.

This time Ed eyed the gun and discreetly checked the ties on his arms to see if they were loose enough to move. They were.

"He liked to watch me." She began begrudgingly. "He liked to watch Ed. There's no doctor or shrink or anybody in the world who can help me, unless they could make me forget, and that's impossible." Her voice became louder. "Do you think anyone could help me now? No." As she ran her fingers through her hair, she took a deep breath. "He'd even get an audience...they'd pay too, so we were never short on money. Lucky us, huh?"

"Watch what exactly?" He asked, hoping the 'no peep' rule wasn't still in play.

"He would watch me fuck, Ed." Winry spat her words with hate. "He would watch me, get others to watch, get my brother to watch." Parking herself in front of Ed once again she folded her arms. "Even got him to join in once, big mistake, that was the night they all died. My usual partner in this disgusting act was one of my father's friends, but that night he was off sick, so we needed a stand in. My father turns to my brother and tells him...get on the bed with her. Her? Me? Yeah."

Ed swallowed hard when he finally realized that she hadn't rehearsed this just for him, this was a story years in the making.

"The usual couple was there, married, happy, and fucking sick in the head. They both liked to watch me along side my father." Winry sighed. "My brother and I talked before we came here that night..."

* * *

_"Winry listen...dad's going to make me do this tonight." He grabbed onto his short blond hair as he hung his head down._

_Winry came over and sat next to her older brother on the bed. "I won't hate you...he's forcing you."_

_The young man nodded. "I can't, you're my baby sister...I can't, I can't." He hyperventilated._

_"Breathe...it's alright." She hugged his right arm and squeezed tight._

_"I'm going to kill him...it's bad enough he's got us all under his thumb, I can't let him keep doing this to you. He won't listen though. I'm going to have to." He shook._

_"...please do it." She sobbed into his shirt._

_"Alright..." Getting up and moving toward his dresser he opened the top drawer. "I'll keep this in my left boot, if I can't get to it first, you have to...can you?" He slid the twelve inch long machete into the outside of his boot._

_Winry nodded. "In a heartbeat."_

_He gave his younger sibling a reassuring look. "Good..." Reaching into his pocket he pulled out a large roll of money. "I only have enough for two tickets." He flipped through the bills. "Only a little left over."_

_"Tickets? Where?"_

_"London, I asked around for prices. Now we have a difficult decision to make...who's going?" Several years had passed since Winry was first forced onto the 'stage', as it was so wrongfully referred to, and only a few months since their mother tried to commit suicide after finding out. "We can use the money left over to get her situated in a home, she can't care for herself so they can't abandon her. Our country wouldn't do that." The brain damage she suffered from asphyxiation left her in such a sad state, unable to speak and unable to preform the simplest of tasks, bathing, getting dressed and even eating if it was more complicated than a drink. Sometimes they thought it would have been best if she had succeeded that day._

_"No! We have to save her!" Winry wiped tears from her eyes. "You take mom to London, I'll find some way to make money and I'll follow you."_

_"How are you going to make money?" He returned the money to his pocket._

_"I'll work at the brothel...it's not like I can get pregnant, I'll follow you soon. I've been through the act enough times to not care anymore." She gasped as her brother took hold of her._

_He held her fast. "I'll get dad and the other guy...but I don't think I can kill a woman...I'm having second thoughts...maybe you and mom should just run." He sat down again on the bed next to Winry._

_She leaned on him. "No..." Shutting her eyes two more tears rolled down her cheeks. "I can't leave you here alone, they'll find you and throw you in prison. No. I won't do that. You and mom go, I'll catch up."_

_Shaken, once more he nodded. "Alright...but we can't leave a witness."_

_"I'll get her." She gritted her teeth. "That bitch is just as bad as them all, she doesn't deserve life."_

_Hours later, during sunset, they headed off to the house a few towns over; it was midnight by the time they arrived and the couple was already there to meet them. A balding, pompous, middle aged man and his overly obese wife sat at the table as they greeted Winry, their usual 'over the top kindness' was going full tilt. 'You look so beautiful tonight.' They had said to her. 'You're lucky, you get to have that tonight.' They said to her brother as they pointed at her. 'Thank you' 'yes' or sometimes 'no', were all the words they were ever allowed to speak to the couple. The couple didn't even know they were her father and brother._

* * *

"When we got upstairs, we started to get undressed, and as we were doing so, just when my brother took off his boot, he whipped around and sliced my dad's neck." Winry pointed over her shoulder to the floor in front of a tall dresser. "That's where he died." On the floor was one of the three largest blood stains. "When he did it, that cow of a wife screamed and fainted against the door, trapping her husband in with us. Oh Ed, he was so scared, screaming like a child."

"Really? I could see why." Ed again looked at the gun as he spoke, Winry had gone over to admire the blood stain again, as she had done many times in the past. He brushed the gun with his fingers, bringing it closer to being obtained.

"Yeah." Winry turned and walked to the window. "He ran here, an attempt at a jump maybe." She stood over another blood stain, this one was larger than the one for her father. "This one's the largest because big brother had to hack; he had his back turned, so he couldn't see his neck. I counted seven strikes with the machete, I might have blinked though, he was doing this rather fast...so at _least_ seven." She ran her hand along the wall paper, paying homage to the long black dotted stains from the blood flung from the blade with each swing.

"Finally, by the door. Can you believe he was going to run and leave her behind? Not that it mattered, she had actually taken a heart attack. We probably could have saved her if we called an ambulance, but why bother, huh? My hands were clean." She traced her foot around the blood on the floor.

"Tragic...now what?" Ed asked, again while Winry's back was momentarily turned, he slid the gun ever so close, all he had to do was grab it.

"Oh, I'm not done. Don't you want to know where this came from?" She shook her head with grievance.

* * *

_Catching his breath Winry's brother sat at the foot of the bed, the red soaked weapon in his left hand, trembling, still dripping. "Now I'll go down and dig a few holes in the backyard, I had one started, told dad I was digging for fishing bait last time we were here."_

_"Clever." Winry spoke, she was emotionless._

_Standing up he walked over to the rather large lady and took her by the ankles and tugged. "What the hell?" The floor around the woman had become soaked._

_"She just wet herself when she died. Roll her over." Winry didn't look behind her to see the woman._

_"But there's no scent." He leaned down and check the woman's stomach. "She's pregnant. Her water broke." He immediately began to panic. "It's gonna die. Oh god." He fell to his knees._

_"No, we can't not try to help." She stood up as quickly as her legs could move and reached her brother. "Give me the knife." Without a fight she took the machete from his now limp hand. With a careful cut she sliced through the dress, then through the lady's large stomach and then the engorged uterus. Within the blood emerged a fully formed baby, alive and well. "Get me some string, we've got to cut the cord."_

* * *

"After that, I decided to keep the child, there was no way I could explain it to the authorities, and I did feel obligated to anyway." After being betrayed by someone she loved, she couldn't bare the thought of bringing this child any harm.

"Where is the baby? You didn't..." He asked, hoping she wouldn't say what he thought she was going to.

"Orphanage. Don't worry, I'm cruel, not heartless. I dropped him off last night before _you_ barged in, hence the pants and shawl routine I had on." She turned around to see Ed with the shotgun aimed at her, it was propped on the chair's arm and his hand griped the trigger like a vise. "Really? This is it?" She smirked and walked closer.

Ed looked at the fearlessness in her face. "Dammit." He pulled the trigger to hear nothing but a 'click'. "Thought so. Why would you even bother with this?" He dropped the gun.

"A club." She picked it up and smashed Edward in the side of the head, knocking the chair with him in it over, and once again, rendering him unconscious.

A short time passed, less than one hour, and Ed finally came too. "You've got to stop doing that." His vision was blurred, it was likely he had a concussion.

"Don't worry, this should do the trick." With a kick, Winry toppled what sounded like a bucket.

"Huh? What was that?" The irking scent of gasoline drifted past his nose.

"It's how you and your little Irish bitch are going to die." Winry pulled a box of matches from her pocket.

"Aria? She's not involved! Don't do this! You don't have to do any of this! Dammit!" He struggled to break free of the ropes that bound him, but nothing.

Giving him a swift kick to the ribs she opened the box of matches and struck one. It hissed in her hand as it sprung to life. "Again, shut up." With that she tossed the match on the puddle of rancid gas, igniting it. "Just go to sleep, for good. Bye." That said, she left the room, door wide open."

"Damn you! Dammit!" Ed yelled only to hear no response.

* * *

zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

R&R plz...zzzzzz


	14. Chapter 14

What? An update? So soon?

Yeah, it's really me. What can I say, I'm on a roll.

* * *

_**Chapter 14**_

* * *

"Dammit! Dammit dammit dammit!" Ed bellowed as he viciously jerked his body side to side. He couldn't believe Winry had done this to him. The black smoke filled the room as the fibres of the carpet burned. The temperature soared as the bed post that trailed to the ceiling slowly began to catch and spread. "Come on." He attempted to strain his automail arm to break the chair arm, it was no use; he tried with his leg, success! The leg of the chair snapped and remained attached to his automail leg, using that, he managed to push himself through the door and to a temporarily safe area. Making a point to hook the door with his foot, he pulled it as shut as he could, as to not want to feed the flames any more oxygen than necessary.

Choking and gasping for air, he caught his breath. From his sideways position he looked at all the closed doors, one to the bathroom, one to the closet and three others for the bedrooms. Which one was Aria behind? He knew he could only check a couple before the smoke got to him. "Wait." He thought about it for a minute. What if she wasn't there at all? What if Winry just told him that so he would look for her and die in the process. She did make it easy for him by leaving the door open, why would she have done that? He was torn. "Better safe than sorry." He made his way to the baby's old room and kicked the knob till it opened, nothing. At least she was telling the truth about the baby, potentially, it wasn't there. On to the next door, he kicked at the knob again and it flew open to reveal an empty bathroom.

Again, Edward manoeuvred the chair again and moved to the closet, he was doing the rooms in order, no the most likely to be in. With some careful kicks to the knob of the linen closet, it turned and the door flew open and a large bag fell over top of him. "Glad I checked...but.." He looked at the lifeless form on him and realized that even though he found her, there was no safe way to get her out right now.

More and more smoke filled the upstairs hallway, Ed began coughing. "Come on Aria! Wake up!" He had a good feeling it was her, even though he couldn't see her. It was a smaller body with slender features, it had to be. "Wait." He looked at the stairs and then realized what Winry had done. She didn't intend him to escape, she tried to give him false hope.

He turned his attention back to Aria, laying in the old burlap sack. "I'm sorry Aria." He positioned himself so and began to shove Aria towards the stairs. As soon as they reached the top of the stairs, which took five precious minutes, he laid his foot on her one more time. "Please wake up." With that, he nudged her to fall down the stairs. The bag awkwardly fell, on it's side, then over the top and finally landed at the foot of the stairs, motionless. "Come on...come on..." The bag began to stir and even groan too. "Aria!" Ed yelled. "Get up! The house it burning!"

Aria sat up within the bag. "Did I leave the stove on?" She said groggily through the bag.

"NO!" He assured her. "Winry's psycho and she trying to burn us alive! GET UP!" He struggled to get as close to the stairs as possible without falling over them.

"Was it because I burned the roast?" She stood up, the bag's drawstring opened and her feet popped out the bottom. She removed the bag from her head and began her sleepy walk up the stairs to a disgruntled Edward. "What are you doing?" She looked down at him.

"Untie me, we're going to burn!" He wiggled his arms and one bound leg.

"Ok. Why are you tied up?" Her eye lids were half closed as she fumbled with the knots.

"Aria..." He looked at her undoing the ties as if in a trance. "...Are you alright? What do you remember from today?" She had gotten one of his arms free and with that arm, undid the other while Aria messed with the tied leg.

"Winry invited me to the kitchen for tea, we drank in silence and..." It was then she realized what was happening. "Wait. Hold on." She rubbed her eyes to clarify the situation. "She drugged me!" Aria looked at the smoke pouring out of the semi closed door. "Oh my god!"

Finally being free, he got to his feet. "Glad to have you with us. Now let's go!" Ed took her by the hand and they made their way out the front door and too the porch. Ed was catching his breath as Aria leaned over the railing, breathing heavily. "What's this?" He reached into the mailbox that had a paper sticking out of it in an obvious manner. "...If you died in the fire, burn in hell. If you survived, you won't for very long. And if you _and_ Aria survived, tell her she's now an orphan." Was all the paper said. He wished he didn't read it out loud.

"What?" Aria spoke as if she were far away.

Ed looked at the note over and over again, but still couldn't come up with the right words. "I'm sorry." Was all he could muster.

"It's ok." She assured him in a very droned voice. "Let's just go." She tugged his sleeve with no effort.

Ed couldn't help but feel terrible for her, she was alone in a country where the only person who even understood what she said was him. "Yeah, let me take you to my apartment before we make any big decisions." He said, suicide being the big decision he was talking about.

Aria cried silently, the tears slipped down her face. "Sounds good." She walked behind him.

Turning back only once, Ed could still see the house burning on the inside.

Back at the apartment building he led Aria up the stairs. She had been crying the whole way, no sound, just tears. Ed suspected she was in shock. He, in a way, knew how she felt; he too had lost everyone dear to him. "You're free to stay as long as you like."

She shook her head. "I have no way to pay you."

"Think nothing of it." He smiled.

"I can't." She spoke in a low tone. "I'm not staying here without being able to pay."

Ed felt this was a kind of behaviour that must have been drilled into her head. "Fine, clean for us. Both of us hate doing it, so you can pay us that way. Please. If I don't have to do dishes for a while, that's great."

She nodded. "Alright then...I won't stay for long though. Just till I find something else."

The evening came and Aria had spent the entire day scrubbing and cleaning the house top to bottom. It didn't need to be cleaned so bad, but Ed figured it was her way of coping with her loss. He let her have this.

After sunset, Alphonse returned home. "Hey Ed I...what the...?" He laid what he had in his arms down on a nearby table and looked around to find not a hair out of place. "Ed...did you take up coke?" He looked around the corner, the laundry had been done and folded, it waited to be put away.

"No." Ed said with a huff from the other room. "We have a live-in guest for a while." He pointed to the half open bathroom door. "She cleans."

"What? Who?" Al looked around the corner to see Aria scrubbing away at the tub, eyes focused intensely. "What's going on?"

Ed went about explaining what had happened with Winry and then the note they found. Ed had also mentioned about Aria's family. "So that's where we're at now."

Al looked at his older roommate. "I never took you to be the kind for drama, Ed."

He quivered. "I'm not, it just keeps finding me." He rested his arms on the table and laid his head down. "I have to go to work tomorrow, what do I tell the owner." He just couldn't bring himself to call her Mama-San in front of anyone outside the brothel.

"Do you have to?" Alphonse poured himself a glass of water.

"Yeah, if I don't, then when they do find out, I'll be scolded for not saying anything." He sighed.

Al thought. "What kind of place is that Halle der Spielzeug?"

"A strange one. And it's not one to be trusted." He said, looking up at Aria who, after an hour, finally emerged from the bathroom.

She clasped her dark green dress in the front. "I'm done. What next?"

Ed shook his head. "Just take a break, there's nothing left."

Aria folded her arms. "That's what you said the last three times I asked, yet we found something to do."

Ed looked to Al. "Do you have anything you need to do around here cleaning-wise."

Al smirked. "Well, I do need a shower."

"Not that." He turned back to Aria. "He said you've done enough. Take a break, there is breakfast tomorrow."

"Yes sir." She said and walked to the living room.

"Sir?" Ed repeated.

"Sir?" Al mimicked him. "What does that mean?" He never learned English from Edward, Ed had only learned German from him, along with a few others.

"Calling someone 'Sir' in English is a way to show respect and, uh, in this case, submission. It's not proper for her to be calling me that." He would mention it to her later. "What's for supper?" He had noticed the large pot Al had laid down by the door.

"Oh, right." He went and grabbed the stew pot and laid it on the kitchen table. "Beef stew, also, Gracia sent up buns." He held up a clear bag with seven buns in it.

"Great." He turned aver his shoulder and just like a light switch, went to English again. "Aria, food's here, come in and eat."

"I'll eat when you're finished." She said quietly from the other room.

Al noticed the expression change on Ed's face. "What did she say?"

"She'll eat when we're finished." He shrugged.

Slightly perturbed, Al rose from his seat and entered the living room only to emerge seconds later with Aria, grasping her lightly around the wrist. He sat her down and spoke to her in German. Aria, with a confused expression, looked at Edward. "Translation please."

Ed smiled. "He said that you're no dog and deserve to eat with us."

Aria nodded and said 'thank you' in German, one of the few phrases she knew.

Al nodded. "How about some music while we eat?" He turned on the radio and a beautiful operatic 'Wagner' wafted through their whole apartment. He proceeded to get three bowls and spoons for Ed and company and a ladle; laying them down on the table, Aria stood and took the ladle.

"Allow me." She filled their bowls first and finally, one small bowl for herself.

"Hey." Al switched bowls with Aria and pointed at his new bowl. "I need more." He said playfully.

Aria couldn't understand him, but she could tell by the gesture that he wanted her to feel welcomed, not burdened. "Fine." She smiled for the first time all day and poured him some more stew, equalling the amount she had initially put in his bowl.

The three ate in silence, not out of awkwardness, far from it, they were just starving; the food was also delicious. After the music reached it's end, the news came on. "There's never any good news." Al said, sipping down some broth.

"_A new update with the crazed gunman. It has been revealed that the shooting may have been out of revenge. There was no evidence of foul play at the brothel, but rather an outside conflict. The Halle der Spielzeug regrets the loss of their five members and hopes it won't effect business. The owner, who is now only in critical care said she has not named a benefactor but she said that if she doesn't find one by the time she passes, she will be relieving the business to the highest bidder, the money in which..._"

Edward stared at the speaker on the front of their radio. "The four girls taking money and Aria's father." He said with a blank stare.

"It may be nothing." Al had heard the same cast and grew worried for his friend. "What if it's someone different? It may not be Winry."

With a shake of his head, he stood up and began to head for the door. He was not one for religion, but he prayed he was wrong. "There's no way that it's not her." Just then, the phone rang.

* * *

Who could it be calling? Winry? The cops? Wrong number? You decide!  
(Not really, but you can guess.)

What did you guys think, let me know.


	15. Chapter 15

So, I got a review from S J Smith that got me thinking... "I love EdxWin, how can I get them together after all this?"

Then I came up with something great!  
This is why I ask for reviews, you guys are my muses! XD

WHAT A TWIST! Enjoy.

* * *

Chapter 15

* * *

"Hello." Ed answered the phone.

"Good evening, may I speak with a 'Alphonse L. Heidrich.' please." The voice was calm and soothing. "Sure, one moment." He held the phone out to Al. "It's for you."

Taking the phone he held his hand over the speaker. "Where are you going?" Al then spoke into the receiver. "Hello?"

"The Halle der Spielzeug. I need to know what happened, and whether or not I still have a job." He saw Al nod. With that said, Aria got Ed's coat for him and draped it over his shoulders then he was out the door.

A short while later, Ed stood at the entrance of the hall and looked at all the downed police tape. "When did this all happen?" Ed looked at the blood on the front door; Breda, Aria's father, had been working the door as a bouncer that night, so it was confirmed, Aria was alone.

"This went down at about one thirty last night." The police officer said, he was standing by for any residual destruction and stood with purpose near the front door.

Ed thought for a moment. "_I left at about one thirty last night_." He held up a slight glimmer of hope that it wasn't her, despite what Winry had gone through, he was hoping that she wouldn't have gone through with this. If there was any faint glimmer of his Winry within her she wouldn't have.

The cop continued. "We've heard from the owner that the gunman, was actually a gun-_woman_. But that hasn't been released yet, so I don't know if it's true."

It was her; Ed's heart sank. She must have been waiting for him to leave, and when she was done shooting the place up, rushed home to run into Ed pounding on her door; it was conveniently timed on his part. "Do you know which hospital the owner is at?" He said distantly.

The cop hesitated and looked him over; taking a few steps towards Ed he rearranged his hat. "What's your relation to her?"

"I work for her."

"What's your name, boy?" He said, reaching for a nearby police phone, it was locked and had a private line from any others.

"Edward Elric." Ed said and watched the police officer dial and speak into the receiver so low that he couldn't make out the words.

He nodded and replaced the phone. "Seems the owner wants to see you. Can I get some ID." He held out his hand and Ed immediately retrieved his wallet from his back pocket. It was fake, but no one could tell, as far as anyone was concerned, he was born and raised in Germany. "Alright, I'll call for a ride."

Edward was shocked at the state of the vehicle, riding in the police car was something he hoped he would never have to do again. The back seat was hard plastic, there were no seat belts and it smelled awful.

"It's a damn shame isn't it. Those poor girls, they were all in their twenty's." The driver spoke as though they were in the middle of a conversation.

Ed picked up on the cue. "Really?" His heart pounded, he didn't want to think of Ilsa as gone. "Have their names been released yet?"

"No, three were head shots and weren't distinguishable, so we haven't got any names yet; we're waiting for some fingerprints and dental records to come back."

'_My day couldn't be going any worse_.' He pinched the corners of his eyes, there would be no tears till he saw Ilsa for himself. He hadn't realized it, but he really fell for her. He had been warned by Mama-San that he shouldn't get involved with her, she was a sex worker, a dangerous job, even without the crazed Winry.

The driver pulled up to the hospital's back entrance. "The guard will guide you to her room." It seemed Mama was well taken care of. He made his way through the hospital, the ape of a guard in front of him led the way.

"In here, not too long." The burly guard said holding his gun at a perfect forty-five degree angle around elbow level, he guarded the door leading to Mama's room.

"Mama. Are you awake?" Ed said as he rounded the corner. She had the blinds pulled back for privacy, a small lamp lit the inside where he could see her shadow laying still in her bed, propped up by her pillows.

"Yes, Edward. Come in please." She said in a soft voice.

He had so many things to say to her, but no words to say them with, so he went with what first came to mind as he stood now face to face with his own mother's continence. "It was Winry wasn't it?" He saw her nod her head slowly. "I knew it."

She coughed. "I deserve this as punishment." She clutched the bandaged wound on her side, it looked to be right below her ribcage, maybe Winry was going for a shot to the heart.

"No you don't." Ed spoke abruptly.

"Yes." She sighed. "I shouldn't have lied to you about those girls Edward. It was wrong of me. This must be God's punishment for deceiving you. I'm sorry."

"I forgive you." Ed said with sincerity.

She closed the book she was going through, it seemed to be an old journal with a collection of pictures from all the past workers. "Ilsa and the others-"

"I know." He cut her off, not wanting to hear any 'I'm so sorry for your losses' just yet.

"She's broken up about losing her friends, but she's doing alright, her brother showed up to see how she was doing. That girl was lucky to get away with her life." Mama flipped through some recites on her lap. Money waited for no one, not even death.

"The radio said four girls were killed!" Ed was shocked, finally a shining light at the end of the dark tunnel. "She's alive?"

"Yes, that news reporter doesn't know his head from his hole. We lost three girls and my guard, four, Ilsa was the only shot in the forehead, it grazed her, Winry missed and couldn't finish the job, at that point she herself was being fired at by Francene and another patron. Bless them both." She smiled. "Ilsa's in the next room...I can tell you want to see her."

Ed brightened up as much as he could have by that point. "I'll be right back, I still want to talk to you about all this." Taking his leave he entered the next room to see a familiar face staring back at him. "Alphonse?" Mama-san said her brother was visiting, did she mean Al?

"Ed, I guess I would have had to tell you sooner or later." He was holding Ilsa's hand.

Her eyes were open slightly and she held her other hand out to him. "Hello. I'm feel lucky to get to say that to you again."

He nodded. "Same." He smiled and took her other hand and held it in both his own, trying his best to keep it together; he then turned to Alphonse. "So you two are related?"

Al nodded. "Remember how I, mentioned I went down to the brothel before? This is why."

"He was visiting me. Such a nice little brother." She gave his hand a squeeze. "They say I can't work for a few months, so we're making living arrangements, I won't be able to pay rent for the next little while."

"With Aria staying with us, there's really no room or money to feed everyone." He seemed discouraged. "Damn that psycho, she's been such a burden on everyone."

Ilsa looked at Al and gave him a knowing glance to which he nodded. "I'll let you two talk, do you want anything from the canteen Winry?"

"A cup of green tea." She said. With that Alphonse.

Ed was confused as he watched his roommate leave. "Why...did he call you Winry?"

"Because that's my real name." She admitted. "Since we're all going to be living together, Al and I figured it was best you knew what was going on." Ed sat in the chair and watched this 'Winry' sit up. "My Real name if Winry Heidrich, when our family first moved to this city, that was when I met Ilsa, the girl you came to know as Winry." Her hair no longer had curls, it had been straightened out and now Ed could see her true self. Her roots were a lighter shade of blond, her face was round and sweet and her eyes looked full of life. He was able to recognize her without all the makeup on, **this** was Winry's true alternate self; he was so preoccupied with who he thought was Winry he didn't even notice. It seemed fate would always end up bringing them together.

"On the train ride here I ran into Ilsa, she was distraught and so we talked and she to explained everything to me. How her brother killed their father, about the baby and because of what her brother did, she was being hunted. She told me that she wanted to flee the country, but if she did so under her name, she would be tracked down. If they stopped her at the border, she would have been thrown in jail. I took pity on her."

"So you two swapped identities?"

"Yes, just until she got out of Germany, now that she's gone, I can go on being me again. I hope Mama-san's not going to be too mad. If I knew Ilsa was going to do something like this, I would haven't have given her a second glance."

Ed tried to gather all the information. "Ok, you met Ilsa on the train, you two swapped names, she banked her money and left for London. Now you can change your name back." She nodded at him. "Why all the violence? How did those other three girls get involved? And Breda?"

Her face darkened. "The girls? I lied to them. Winry gave me money as a thank you for the name swap, but some of the other girls saw, I had to make up something on the spot. I told them it was hush money for not blabbing that her child was hers and her brother's."

Ed raised an eyebrow. "That was the best you could come up with?"

She pouted. "I panicked! It had to be good enough for the amount I got."

"And Breda?"

Winry shrugged. "She just hated him, I don't know why, I always found him to be very sweet." She noticed that in him though she never spoke to him, she could speak English like that nut case could.

Ed then remembered, some of the things he and Breda had said to one another in English about Ilsa, they weren't very flattering; he now knew that was why Ilsa hated him so much after about a week, she could speak English and just didn't tell _anyone_. That must have been why she went after him; if your slate was going to be wiped clean, why not get everyone back who wrong you? She truly did need help, but she was never going to get it. He had remembered the note and removed it from his pocket. "If you died in the fire, burn in hell. If you survived, you won't for very long." He read the letter aloud. "She left this sticking out of her mail box, kind of makes me wonder if she was expecting me to escape?"

Winry shrugged. "I don't know. Let's hope not." She touched the stitched and bandaged wound on her forehead.

Finally Ed smiled at her. "At least we're alright." He took her hand and tugged her close, their lips touched, and he kissed Winry for the first time.

* * *

Bum-Bum-BA!

What did you think? 'M. Night Shyamalan' enough for ya? :P  
'What a tweest!'

But now, what dose Ilsa have in store for Ed now? Hehehe.


	16. Chapter 16

I went with a bit of a different tone with this chapter. Let me know what you think.

By the by, this is the last arc, the story is coming to a close soon.

* * *

Chapter 16

* * *

A solid day of work went into installing bunk beds in the two bed rooms. "Not too bad," Al nodded admiring his own work. "And you doubted me," he remarked to Ed.

"Yeah, yeah, bravo. Now, is it sturdy?"

"Of course," he looked offended.

Ed took a step up on the bottom of the girls two beds and held the top. "Fine, but I still get the bottom one."

"You're not tall enough for the top one," he took a stab at him.

"And you're not graceful enough for the top bunk," and as if on cue a cork popped.

Alphonse sighed and handed his hammer to Ed who nearly missed it, "One thing I forgot to mention," he said as he left the room, seconds passed and he heard talking, more silence, then he emerged again with a re-corked green bottle, "Keep these away from her."

He had come to learn of the true Winry. He had only interacted with her when she was in the brothel, so she was normally sauced. But she was like this the whole time? It was easy to control, just don't buy her any. She didn't seek it, she only had it when it was available. Winry was odd. She was Winry. The same upbeat nature, the same passion for their desired field. Ed also became aware for this Winry's love for watches. She could identify a genuine brand from a copy, name each brand and even fix most models. She was indeed passionate. If she kept busy, any alcohol issue went away.

The only problem that inferred was her spending a ridiculous amounts of money on them. But that wouldn't be a cause for concern for a long time to come. For Winry had received payment for her role in the crime that took place. "Maybe she wanted to miss me," she said as she ogled a piece of machine ingenuity at its finest. "This is worth nearly a thousand marks," Winry was breathless as she held the piece out to Edward.

He took it in hand and held it to the light, "Looks like a watch."

Winry took back the piece and coddled it as it could have been offended by his ignorant words. Which made her go into a whirlwind explanation on how wrong he was in saying 'just a watch' and gave a brief history of how this watch came to be. Its story was interesting to the fullest story about a watch could be.

The place she retrieved this treasure was from Ilsa's back yard. Ilsa promised a lot of money if Winry went along with the whole plan. A box was buried in her back yard next to the deceased, containing various pieces of rare and expensive jewelery. The best find was the watch and there were also some necklaces that commanded attention, while the rest, still being worth money, were not rare. Several broken watches were also in there. Maybe Ilsa wasn't so bad in the scene that she kept her word, but her other flaws shadowed what good that could have illuminated her dark world.

"This should keep us going for a few months," Ed stated as he finished examining the last of the regular watches, "if you fix them we could make at least a few hundred a piece." In marks, of course.

"Great. I need a few things to get started," she said and plucked three necklaces from the table, leaving the rare ones wanting. "I'll be back."

"No booze."

"I haven't had a drink in days," and left out the door. It's heavy frame rattled the small apartment. Though she did have a point, she hadn't. He forewent mentioning it to her when she arrived, to which he discovered she didn't bring any home. She did however stop at a local pub with a few friends to have a few. This was far more acceptable if done at night, but it was the middle of the day. She also followed this news with a desire to go out that night with him. After a solid hour of begging, apparently he was going to a house party with her.

He didn't like places like this, it was a dingy apartment with lots of smoke in the air. He managed to convince her to leave within the hour.

The weeks passed and finally the Halle der Spielzeug was up and running again. Sadly, the shooting caused a few of her girls to quit. Some people valued their lives above money.

"I missed this place," Winry said as she basked in the light of the dimly lit main hall. Francene was still there, so were a few other workers Ed was familiar with. There was only one girl who he knew who didn't make it out alive. Klaus, the young girl from France. Apparently her father was informed of her murder and did nothing to come see her. He had no intention of sending her to school if she saved enough. She would only be missed by whores, a most befitting death to a wonderful person.

Edward was tapped on the shoulder by a large man, riddled with tattoos, "Edward," he began, "take this." He held a gun in a holster toward Ed. "We have to carry these now, keep it on you at all times."

Reluctantly he took the gun in hand and fastened it around his waist. "I hate these things," he said and tightened the belt.

"I think its sexy," she said and wrapped her arms around his neck, followed up by a kiss.

He chuckled, "Being able to murder easily is appealing." He saw her nod, "sure then." He rolled his eyes.

The night was uneventful. Except for one patron. He came in around near eleven, a Japanese man with a lovely lady on his arm, she was an escort for sure, and a body guard, from the looks of him, on his opposite side. He was familiar. "Hold on," Edward said and laid his drink down near the group he was speaking with. He walked up to the man and paused, remembering this guy didn't speak a lick of German.

He spoke with the body guard briefly and discovered this man was here for him and also spoke English. They took a seat across from one another and Ed looked at him with contempt, "So," he began, "I thought you were a beggar." He remembered him from the church they got food from when Ed accidentally blew his money on Ilsa the first night they met.

"I was," he spoke English with a very thick Japanese accent, "but thanks to you, I was able to make something better of my situation." The man introduced himself as Ryo Hisashi, a humorous take on Roy Mustang's name. Ryo told him that after he ate, he was filled with energy, enough so that he stopped a man from robbing a rich aristocrat. She in turn rewarded him with a lump sum of money. With his new found funds, he gambled to make his money grow. "Here I am now, several dollars richer and come to thank you for your generosity."

His rags to riches story was very intriguing. "What are you going to do from here?"

The man leaned over the table and narrowed his eyes, "I heard of the tragic event that happened. I wanted to know if I could help. There are some trades I control I feel could bring in more revenue."

"What's that now?"

"Tobacco and Opium. You let me sell from this location and I can double your income," he said with a smirk. The location they were in was a hot spot for the unmentionables, so selling from within the brothel was a good idea, at least in his mind.

"I don't think that's possible, Mama-san was pretty particular about not having her girls on anything."

He shook his head, "No, no, we wouldn't sell it to the workers, just to the patrons." Ryo was very convincing and managed to talk Ed into contacting Mama about the business offer.

He sat at her desk, alone in the room, with the phone to his ear. "That's all he told me," he said and waited for a response the took a little longer to get through than he thought.

She sighed over the line, "Double, you say?" Mama grumbled a few things to herself and some paper flipping went on in the background. "Alright, but if any of my girls gets roped into the culture, it's gone. Edward, can I trust you to moderate it?"

After another half hour on the phone, Ed took on this new endeavor. "I still think it's too risky. But if you say so."

"I do. This is only temporary. When I get back, it will no longer be needed."

Begrudgingly he went back out the Ryo and told him the good news. They would be getting a shipment over the weekend, two days away, and would begin selling immediately. The tobacco was sold over the counter, at the bar, where as the opium was sold out back. A password and identification was needed to purchase some. If you were with the 'in' crowd, you knew what the password was, no one ever got in on their own. Ryo's first few customers were close acquaintances he had made while in country and the next batch were people they knew.

Edward didn't like it. He found some of the girls taking hits disguised by cigarettes, Mama wasn't going to be too impressed. Ed did his best to deter the others, but who knew what went on behind closed doors?

Months passed and finally Mama-san returned and was sent into a violent rage when she found nearly half her girls had fell off the wagon. Some had given up their job completely to pursue a life stocked with a drug that plunged them into an everlasting euphoria. "I want them gone, those damn Jap's! You didn't tell me he was Japanese!" Mama sounded like she was more upset with the fact he was Asian, rather than selling opium.

Edward wasn't looking forward to this. He had to tell him to leave. He cracked the knuckles on his left hand and went off in search of Ryo. After explaining the situation to Ryo, he was very understanding at first, but his tone quickly changed. "Tell me, are you happy being a free man?" he asked while resting his chin on his bridged hands, elbows resting at the table edge.

Furrowing his brow, he stared at this man with contempt, "A threat," he smirked, "what makes you think you can touch me? Or Mama?"

Pulling a nearby suitcase on to his lap, he opened it and produced a large brown envelop. "Threat? Possibly, but I prefer to call it blackmail."

Ed locked eyes with Ryo and blindly opened the envelop. There was a picture of what appeared to be him, but with shorter hair. "What is this?"

"A copy, I have the original stored safely at another location, but this is evidence holding you responsible for the death of three people and the arson of a local home. So...are we still in business?"

With an expression one usually reserved for train wrecks, Ed nodded slowly, "Yeah...we are...how did you get this?" he asked as if he didn't know.

"A beautiful young woman paid me good money to bring this to your attention. She said it would earn me a lot of money if you were still alive. It looks like she was honest."

"She was the one who shot this place up last month. She's a monster."

"Then I'm the monster's helper. She gets her revenge on you, what ever her reason, and I make money." He smiled with that same smile he received from Roy, back in Amestris. That smirk that lets you know you have no other option. The smirk that said I'm in control. That smirk he hated and wished he never saw again, let alone helped feed.

Ed stood up and retained his composure, "Well," he started, "If I knew this was who you were, I never would have helped you. I should have let you starve."

"You? You'd let a man starve to death? And here I thought you were some kind of pure soul. Wanting to help everyone who comes by? Much like Ilsa? Or the rest of these girls?" He had learned of Ed and his 'you can do better' tone. He actually convinced a few girls to leave in pursuit of a more wholesome and secure carer.

He looked at Ryo with the most disgust he could muster, "If you were dying of thirst, I wouldn't even spit on you," he snapped and walked away, ready to give the bad news to Mama. The question now was whether or not Mama was going to turn him in to get rid of the 'Jap', or keep selling to make money. Sometimes anger was enough to blind someone from rational thought. Edward didn't believe there was a god, but he prayed all would turn out well. Now was his greatest hour of need.

* * *

So, opinions?

By the way, I got the idea for Roy's name from a name generator, I wanted to pick the first name that began with an 'R', and Ryo was the first one that popped up. Funny, huh?


	17. Chapter 17

ALMOST wrote myself into a corner in here, but my quick thinking got me out. See if you can tell where it happened. XD

Hope you like it. And thanks for the reviews guys. If it weren't for you, I don't know where this story would have went.

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**_Chapter 17_**

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Mama agreed to keep selling. "But," Ed struggled for reasons, though none came to mind.

"I can't do that to you Ed. You've held this place together while I was gone, I'm indebted to you," she spoke in a slow monotone voice, Mama was still in pain and the medication was slowing her down.

"What else is there? There's got to be some way to negotiate. A better location. You know it's only a matter of time before he starts abusing his power. We've got nothing. I'll just take the heat, let me go," Edward tried to remove Mama from the situation.

With a solemn shake of her head, she asked Ed to leave the office. The issue wasn't up for discussion, she wanted to keep him, there was no convincing her otherwise. Either her being indebted to him for helping after the shooting, or finding several thousand Marks a few months ago, or lying to him about the girls, she was adamant about where loyalties resided. How ever many loyalties she had. "This is too difficult." Ed grabbed the straw of his drink and sipped it.

"Who cares," Winry said as she walked by, "I say let him, as for the girls buying, let Mama deal with them." Since she still had some other injuries, from being moderately trampled after the first shot rang out, she was busing tables for the weeks to come.

Winry had her makeup on and her hair was permed once again. This was the girl Ed had come to know as Ilsa, but she wasn't that woman. Since she took her hair down, she looked more like the Winry he had come to know as a child, but she wasn't that woman either. Though their paralells were jaw droppingly close. Right down to her appearence. Though it was upsetting to see her mess with her own natural beauty by coating her eyes in various colors and teasing the good out of her lemon colored hair, Edward decided not to mention anything to her. As much as he missed Winry, this was not her, it was a decent substitute, but not Winry Rockbell.

This life was real. He had a hard time accepting that until this all started. He suffered the pain of losing someone dear, he rejoiced when he saw that same someone he come to know survive. It made him realize that this indeed was his life, and that he had a profound effect on it in many ways. He saved a life too. The life of the young girl Aria, only to have her live as an orphan, but she was alive. Each day he went home, he could swear he could hear her crying.

Aria was a tough girl though. Her Scottish upbringing was brutal, so she was well disciplined and a hard worker, but she had a difficult time addressing authority. Though no member of the house considered themselves any real authority, Ed and Al received meek requests about things that didn't need to be a request. Bathing, eating, even chores, she would ask to do all these things. Naturally everyone cleaned up after themselves, but she would go the distance to get the scraps anyone would miss. A tissue on the table, a glass at the night stand or even a lone sock that had been forgotten in the bathroom. She polished and prettied the house till it shone.

Many times Edward tried to get her to relax, she'd refuse saying, "When I leave here, the chances I'll find such forgiving people to live with'll be small." He also reminded her that she didn't have to go. She could live with them as long as she needed.

Al was particular about getting this notion across, he was sweet on her. Being petite and pretty as she was, Alphonse really wanted to get to know her. He was trying to pick up some English to possibly have a conversation with her, but his efforts were in vain. English was a tough language to master. He pawed through a beginners manual.

"She's learning German, you know?" Ed said as he looked casually over the news paper.

"Really?" Al sounded relieved, "Is it going well?" to which Ed nodded, "Glad to hear it," and tossed his book in the fire, sat back and watched it burn.

They were in winter now and Winry was fully healed, back out on the streets earning her living. They decided to all live together, cheaper bills and shared food budget. Also, Winry could pursue her passion of Watch making. As much as she loved to fix them, she'd always wanted to learn how to make them. "Why not go to school?" he would ask her.

"Because I want my money now, and sex is much more appealing than having my nose in a book."

"Fair enough, could you do both?" he suggested.

Winry rolled her eyes, "I'll think about it." And she did think about it, but that was all. A thought, a notion, then it was never mentioned again.

Edward did many things to try and draw his attention away from Ryo, but fire still burned inside of him. A man he fed when near the brink of death, when no one else would, turned around and stabbed him in the back so undeservedly. He wanted to know what information he had and how he was being framed. Ed decided to confront him again.

"I thought we were through this already Ed-san, I sell my product, you sit pretty. Like a good dog. Sit boy, sit," he mocked.

"Let's say I don't believe you anymore," he began, silencing the foregin man, "What if you actually don't have anything else beyond that picture? How do I know you aren't just talking shit?"

Ryo held up a hand to calm Ed, who by this point was speaking through gritted teeth, "Allow me a moment," he said in reached down. He pulled out the same envelope from before from a bag at his feet and threw it towards Edward. "Take in mind, these are just pictures of the actual photos, but you will understand."

They were smaller and hard to make out, but there they were, Ed going in and out of the house many times, and even coming out of the burning house. Even stealing mail. That was just a kick in the teeth, that letter was for him anyway. '_The letter!_' he thought. "Alright, forget I said anything." Tossing the pictures aside, he got up and left.

"You better not be planning anything!" Ryo remarked, "Don't want your girlfriend to buy a tainted batch."

Ed froze in his tracks, "What did you say?" he snarled. He and Winry never cemented a relationship, but that wasn't what bothered him.

"Winry, the curly blond who hangs on your arm when she drinks too much. She's a valuable customer, I'd hate to see her buy some opium with unwanted materials mixed in."

Ed bit his tongue, "No worries, just curious." It would seem the letter idea was all for naught. If he got caught, Winry would be in danger. Besides, the letter Ilsa signed was probably signed in such a way it wouldn't match any signature she would have made before. She was a killer, one who had been on the loose for two years, she was far more calculating than anyone would have given her credit for.

"This is going to take some brain power." Edward knew he needed more help, so that night, around the supper table, he explained what was going on. "And Winry's buying too, that's making this more difficult than anything." He spoke harsh, she wasn't home, she was out at a nearby bar, with friends.

"I'll get after her for buying that stuff, but you have to get this guy out of the brothel." Al slouched back in his seat, "You shouldn't have let him in from the get go."

"I doubt that would have mattered. If I refused he would have pulled out the big guns right from the start." Ed rested his forehead on the edge of the table and stared aimlessly at his feet. "If we stop her from buying, we can keep her safe that way. But there's no telling if they'd just right out shoot her to get through to me."

"Unless we just don't let her go back."

"I wouldn't be able to go back either. If he goes to jail, he'll make bail and just come get me." Ed pointed out. If he sought revenge, even Ed's life was in danger.

"We'd have to leave the city." They exchanged a glance and shook off the idea. "What if you just got the pictures?"

"He'd kill me."

"What if something happened to them that you had no control over?" Al leaned forward, "Find out where the pictures are hidden and burn the place down, make it look like an accident. He'll be none the wiser."

Edward tossed the pros and cons of the idea around. Nothing boiled to the top of the pot of worry, other than the chance of being caught lighting the place up. "But if we got someone else to do it." They panned to Aria. "_Hey,_" he spoke in English to her. Her German was coming along but the sentence, "_would you like to light something on fire?_" probably wasn't in her vocabulary yet.

"_Come again?_" she asked. He went about explaining things to her, and she agreed without a second thought. It made Ed wonder just how far she was willing to obey. They brought Aria on location to where Ryo was staying. In a matter of a few months, he was practically the main source of opium in the country. In their city at least. He had a large house, that was built in just a couple weeks, on a hill at the end of a long gated driveway on the main road leaving the city limits. "_So cliché._" she thought, "_Is this guy some kind of crime boss?_"

"_Yes he is, now hurry,_" Ed helped her to the top of the fence out back, Al kept watch near the car.

She hesitated, "_I'm having second thoughts, can we find someone else?_"

To which Ed pushed upward with force and send her careening to the ground on the other side. She face planted, "_You're already on the other side of the fence though._" He said, hiding a smile.

"_God, give me strength to deal with this idiot,_" she prayed briefly, "_Where do you want me to go?_"

Ed showed her a floor plan he had received from a friend at his old job. On old colleague had a brother who worked on the house, and after the words 'It belongs to a Japanese drug lord', the floor plans were in his hands in a matter of minutes. Whether it was the 'drug lord' or the 'Japanese' part of the sentence that did it, it worked. Aria needed to go in and find some wires to cross and fuel it up to get a fire going. They were only going to have one chance, so she needed to be careful. One false move and she had lead in her ear.

The second floor had far too many outlets than it needed. This was to facilitate the synthesis of the opium, but it also posed as a fire hazard, having too many things plugged in at once. "_Right here,_" Ed said as he pointed to a small hallway on the map, "_These are servant passages. Servants use them so they don't disturb the guests, they come in, lay stuff on the table and slip out quietly. You however are going to do more than serve. At this spot,_" he said and pointed to a junction. "_There's a large intersection of wires. Bare a few and stuff in the paper, that should ignite the fire_."

"_Bare the wires? You mean, cut off the plastic? The stuff that stops me from getting electrocuted? Are you some kind of gawk?_"

Confused at being called a strange name, he assumed _gawk_ was her way of saying 'you're insane'. "_We've got that covered. There's going to be a black out._"

"_Oh, how do you know?_"

"_I'm going to make it happen._" He had an evil grin on his face. "_As soon as the lights go out, get to work._" He had shown her how to do so on some practice wire, once again complements of a friend of a friend. Apparently he wanted him gone as much as Ed did.

Ed scurried down the hill, cloaked in only the night, and made it to the car, parked on the side of the road. Alphonse, who didn't smoke, had a cigar as he waited. One couldn't stand there and not do anything, without looking suspicious. So a cigar it was. "Are we finished?" he said though a winced breath.

"Yeah," Ed confirmed.

"Great," he coughed and spat as he threw the offending rolled tobacco in a ditch and immediately it hissed in the rain water that gathered, "Now, how do we shut the power off in there?"

"We destroy the town's generator."

"How?"

"Drive a car into it."

"Dummkoph," Al snorted at the thought of Ed using his car as fodder for violence.

"Not this one, I'll get one."

"Are you going to steal it?"

"How else would I get it?"

"Your life is on the line here, I suppose it's okay you're not thinking rationally."

"Your sister's life is on the line too, lets not forget."

Al froze, he had forgotten all about that aspect. His mind frequently pushed the unpleasantries aside, but getting slapped in the face with one made his irrationally flare, "Don't steal a car, use this one."

"I can't, they'll trace it back to us and Ryo will know. I need an anonymous vehical to make it seem like an accident." He pulled a rum bottle from under the seat. "And even fuel for the accident."

"You need some courage?"

"No," he said and began pouring it out the window of the moving vehicle, "The car careening off the road on its own won't be enough, leave this at the scene, it'll make sense why the guy who caused the accident took off."

"You've got this all figured out, haven't you."

"Most of it. I still haven't figured out how I'm going to get away. If they send dogs, I'm done for. Can you pick me up on this side," he said and pulled out a map. He pointed to a road half a mile through the woods. "When I bail, I'll tear through the woods and meet up with you here."

"What if I miss you?"

"You light up another cigar-"

"Damn."

"-and wait for me. I'll sneak in the door closest to me, be on this side of the road."

Al drew a deep breath and exhaled deeply. "You must be crazy. Different worlds, conspiracy, now this, you need to see a shrink."

"You need to shut up and drive. Turn up here." They turned up a road lined with cars. A house party was happening, so he was going to wait for one of them to leave and he would jack the car then. This was going to be a tough one. What if no one left? What if it was a woman? He couldn't hit her. What if it was a bigger guy? He would be pummeled. What if it was only groups to leave? So many things could have gone wrong. But he took the chance, and they waited.

Aria waited too. She crouched in the dimly lit, half the height of a regular room, hallway between the walls. "Please hurry." She spoke in German, hoping they could both of them would hear her prayer.

* * *

One more down, we're drawing to a close here. Ge'n'intense! XDDD


	18. Chapter 18

Ready for this one?

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_**Chapter 18**_

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It would have seemed that luck was shining on them, when the first person who came out of the house was a short man, wearing glasses, holding several books in his arms. Ed crouched behind the car as he waited. "Come on Ed," Alphonse said, "It won't get any better than this."

When Ed was satisfied the guy was close enough to his car, he slinked away behind the row of cars that lined the street. No sooner had the guy unlocked his car when Ed came up behind him and gave him a quick, open handed chop to the shoulder. The man went down, paralyzed in pain. "Sorry," Edward stated as he pulled the guy to the curb. Quickly he took the keys and sped off down the road to his appointed destination.

The time it took them to get all this done, since dropping Aria off, was only a matter of ten minutes. To Ed, it felt like an eternity, especially the drive to the generator. It was within a block of the car theft and only took a minute to get to. He sped up and bailed, allowing the car to smash into the side of it. The whole thing went up in smoke and a large chunk of the buildings around went black. Ed had tucked and rolled out of the vehicle and stopped close enough to feel the heat of the wreckage. Satisfied all was well, he took off through the woods.

The forest was dark. He was staggered and tripped the whole way, and even got his leg stuck in a bog. The only advantage to having a metal leg in that kind of situation was that it didn't create suction with the mud, so he was able to pull it out with ease. Except for the boot, which he had to fish out with his hand. After a fifteen minute trek through the woods, he came up to the road and saw Alphonse waiting, as planned.

After hearing Ed get in the car, they began to drive off. Once again, Al was happy to discard the cigar. "Did it work?" he asked with concern.

"Yeah," he began, "I left the bottle in the front seat. Now all we do is wait." They made a quick stop to pick Aria up and headed home. They were home free.

Hoping for one thing and getting another sometimes could prove troublesome. After the fire started at Ryo's mansion, the firefighters discovered the facility and arrested Ryo on the spot. He was deported the next day. Edward was glad he waited a couple of weeks since asking Ryo about the 'evidence', as to not look suspicious. He lounged backward on his couch and laid his head on Winry's lap. The radio played on.

"_Directly before the fire broke out, a car accident at a local power hub knocked out power to half a city including a hospital in the lower end. However, Bachmeier Memorial Hospital reported only one fatality before their own back up generator began. Police believe that the two instances weren't connected. The man responsible is currently being held in custody. The owner of the vehicle found to have abandoned the wreckage and collapsed at a nearby manor that was entertaining a banquette for the Nazi Socialist party. The suspect's name hasn't been released, but we will keep you posted after his hearing. His trial is Monday. In sports..._**"**

"..." Ed stared at the ceiling in horror. Had he but known there was a hospital in the area, he would have figured something else out. Sitting up he lowered his head, "I have to turn myself in."

"Now I've heard some stupid things in my time," Winry began, "but that puts all others to shame. Ed, you did it. Ryo's gone, I'm off 'seed' and you're a free man. Just wait till his goonies clear out and we won't have any worries."

"Its not that simple," he said and stood up, giving each person in the room a quick glance. "My actions resulted in me taking an innocent life, and I put an innocent man in jail," he paused, hoping to see someone agreeing with him (except for Aria, who only caught half of what he said). "I can't have this on my concise!"

Winry sighed.

Al said nothing.

Aria looked confused for more than one reason. "You're giving up to the law?" she said, her German was really coming along.

"Yes," he said and briefly explained to her in English what exactly was happening.

"I think it you should. God would be happiest."

Edward scoffed at her comment, "I'm sure I've earned some points for what I've done." Disposing of a drug trafficker seemed like a noble thing to do.

"You should wait a while," Alphonse mentioned, "If you do it so quickly someone around here may notice. They'll tell him you caused the fire and you'll be snuffed out for sure. Wait till they move on and then turn yourself in." Al was right, if Ryo had someone on the inside, they may have found out. Best to let the heat wear off.

"There's also the chance you run into an old friend of his in the clink anyway. There were some German's who were arrested at the scene too. You're going to go where they go. I'd ask for solitary," she said as if she knew exactly what to do.

And so, he waited. One month. When the time was up, and after a bribe was handed to a guard, Ed was in the empty lunch room of the prison, face to face with the man he assaulted. "Have a seat," Ed said as he motioned for the man to sit across from him. "You probably don't remember me." The man, oddly enough, was another familiar face. Kane Fury. This man was called Kane as well, but a more Germanic last name, one that even Ed struggled at pronouncing.

Kane furrowed his brow, deep in thought, "Can't say that I do, were you at the banquette?" He was referring to the banquette he had departed from before he was jumped. It was the closest, most relevant thing he could think of that this stranger was talking about.

"Sort of," he said with a lump in his throat. Ed had let this innocent man rot in jail for over a month. "I was the one who stole your car. And crashed it."

Kane flew up from his seat in horror, he backed up, "Please don't kill me, I'll give you money, I'm a lawyer! I have money."

Edward shook his head and held his hand palm down, instructing the man to calm down, "No, I don't want anything, I'm here to apologize and take your place."

Immediately, Kane calmed down and took his seat, "A criminal with a concise, must be a tough life," his cockiness came through.

"Surprisingly enough, I'm not the bad guy here." Ed explained the true intention of his actions and what he'd hoped he'd achieve. "I wasn't expecting you to take the heat, nor the hospital to lose power. You have to understand, this was bigger than you or I. I had no choice."

"Bigger!-because of you, do you know how many clients I lost? All of them! I'm going to be jobless when I get out of here. You've successfully ruined my life. Who cares about the bigger picture? This is my life! Helping someone else doesn't fix my problems!"

Ed again instructed him to calm down, "I thought something like that would have happened. So I came up with an idea as compensation."

"Compensation? Compensation? You destroyed my entire business!" he yelled as he was handed a paper. "What's this?" he said and pawed through it.

"Its an idea for a book. I thought for sure I was going to be caught by tracking dogs, but I found out a few weeks ago that this city doesn't have a program for police dogs. That's a detailed outline for a book explaining the importance and effectiveness of the dogs and other investigation techniques." Edward shared the Amestris way of justice. He continued, "Where I come from, the dogs would have tracked me down in five minutes. I stumbled through the forest for fifteen minutes, they could have caught me that same night, but they couldn't. You could be the one to bring this to the attention of the public and build back your reputation. Kind of a feel good story if you ask me."

Fortunatly for him, Kane was a forgiving man. He was ecstatic about the book idea and agreed to begin writing as soon as he was once again a free man. After he went to the media about his ordeal, of course.

They took the issue to court and settled it. Edward was trialed with killing four people and two accounts of arson. No one had expected Ryo to give the evidence to the authorities before he left. It was an act of sheer spite because there was no way of linking the house fire to him. All he accomplished was saving the police the task of finding him. Ed buried his face in his hands. "What the hell am I going to do? I could be executed for this!" he was losing his cool now.

Kane gave him a reassuring pat on the shoulder. "I'll think of something." Since Kane was a free man again, he volunteered his service as a lawyer. Half price, of course. One has to start somewhere.

"I hope. We have a week till my sentence. Am I going to jail, or do I hang?" he said with a grim disposer.

Back at the house, Winry had received a call about Ed's situation. "He won't hang. The judge he has never hangs below twenty." Again, she spoke as though she knew. "At best, he's looking at ten years." She was unnervingly knowledgeable about these things.

Alphonse sipped his glass of rum. "Here's hoping," he said with a crack in his voice.

Aria wiped tears from her eyes, "I'm scared."

Winry sat next to her and wrapped her arms around her shoulders, "Be strong."

Mama, on the other hand, was furious with his decision. Back at the brothel, many of the patrons and workers were in a glum state. Ed had become a member of their family, and now he was going to be locked up. For unscrupulous reasons no less. Francene and Mama were planning on taking care of it, they were planning on having a shooting of their own, Ryo was going to be caught in the crossfire. But they didn't act soon enough. "He's more man than I ever was. I couldn't turn in like dat'." She said and laid her ivory handled pistol on Mama's desk.

"I know dear," she replaced the gun in its box and stored it away for whenever Francene may need it again, "The boy has guilt issues, there's nothing we can do about that."

"I wonder if he'll make bail."

"For killing four people? No."

"Four? He killed four people?"

"I don't know. I don't think so. One for sure he said, the hospital patient."

Francene tightened her sarong around her waist and rose to her feet. "Edward's a nice boy, there's no way. He goes out of his way all the time, there's not a thing in this world that would make me think otherwise."

"I feel the same. If he's honest, if he's innocent, he should be back in our arms in no time," she said an emerged with rosary from her top drawer.

Francene raised an eyebrow, "I thought you lost it?"

"No," Mama said, "Its been in here the whole time."

"I meant your faith."

"Oh," she lowered her eyes to the shiny amethyst beads and the silver cross at the end. "Maybe, but now will be a true test. I hope my prayers reach him."

"Edward or God?"

"Both," she said and closed her eyes, hands folded in prayer.

If by some miracle the moment Mama-san folded her hands, back at the court house, Kane noticed something about the identification card Winry left from her brother. "Look at when this was renewed, two years ago."

"Yeah, and?" he said with not shred of hope in his tone.

"Look at the length of your hair. There's no way it grew in the length of time between today and when this picture was taken." One thing Ilsa didn't state, he brother got caught. He was being incarcerated at this same establishment which is why it was so easy to frame him, they looked alike. Except for the hair.

Ed brightened up. "Well, that's a relief," he stretched upward. "I guess now all I have to worry about is the arson and the hospital patient."

"There's nothing I can do about that Ed. I mean, I could try, but you already admitted to it."

He flashed a smile, "I know. I'm willing to pay for what I've done."

A week passed and Ed was put on trial. Just as Kane had discovered, the judge too realized it wasn't the same man. Another thing Ilsa didn't count on, him having the same judge as her brother. The judge took note of the difference in eye color. As smart as Ilsa tried to come off as, she was sloppy near the end. Ed would have walked away a totally free man if not for the accident, but the judge lightened his sentence because the crash sparked a fire at a drug ring facility. One year. It would have been five, but the amount of lives he saved by destroying Ryo's lab made up, he felt, for the one lost. He accepted the sentence.

* * *

So...I'm putting Edward in jail.  
Sometimes doing the right thing can bite you in the 'feel bads'.


End file.
